ECONOMIC 


ELECTRICAL FUTURE 

OF 

RAILROADS. 


CHARLES HENRY DAVIS, M. Am. Soc. C. E. 


Reprinted from Transactions, 
American Society of Civil Engineers, 
New York, December, 1899. 










A DETAILED EXPOSITION 


OF 


First Cost, Total Expenses and Gross Receipts 


OF THE 


FUTURE ELECTRICAL DEVELOPMENT 


ON OUR 


STEAM RAILROADS. 


*Chakles Henry Davis, M. Am. Soc. C. E. (by letter).—While the Mr. Davis, 
subject for discussion seems to be confined to the application of electric 
motive power to branch steam railroad lines, the members speaking 
on this subject, at the Annual Convention, June 30th, 1899, are evi¬ 
dently interested in the problem as a whole and have not confined 
themselves to “branch lines.” Claiming the same privilege, the 
writer transmits the following as possibly throwing some light on the 
future development in the use of electric traction, not only on existing 
steam railroad lines, but for new high-speed interurban transporta¬ 
tion systems. 

Reversing the usual order, some of the writer’s conclusions are 
given prior to the discussion, in order that each step may be followed 
more readily. The figures and tables may be found to have some errors 
(of which the author will be glad to be advised), and, in many cases, 
are only approximate; so that they must not necessarily be treated as 
accurate in their details, but they are safe as to their conclusions, and 
can be relied upon in this respect. 

♦Reprinted from Transactions , Am. Soc. C. E., Vol. xlii, p. 387, et seq. 





388 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. 


Conclusions. 

(. 1 ) Steam railroads will, in the near future, handle their suburban 
and short-distance interurban passenger traffic and mail, express, bag¬ 
gage and light local freight carried in said suburban and interurban 
passenger trains, by electric motive power; and this, irrespective of 
whether operating expenses are affected favorably or unfavorably. 

(2) Steam railroads will not, in the near future, handle their freight 
traffic (other than mail, express, baggage and light local freight carried 
in suburban and interurban passenger trains), and long-distance pas¬ 
senger traffic by any other motive power than steam locomotives. 

(3) Steam railroads may, under exceptional conditions of large 
volume and great density of passenger traffic over distances longer 
than under (1) aud shorter than under (2), handle it by electric motive 
power, but such cases will be infrequent. 

(4) New railway lines, connecting very large centers of population, 
where frequent service at much higher speeds than can be attained 
now by steam locomotives on existing lines are conditions of success, 
will be operated by electric motors. 

There are three conditions under which suburban and short-distance 
interurban traffic will be handled profitably by steam railroads con¬ 
verting to electric traction: 

1. (a) Where units can be light and frequent, and operated 
over comparatively short distances. 

(6) Where gross receipts can be so increased by the change 
of system and mode of operation as to pay for the increased 
investment and possible increase in operating expenses. 

(c) Where competition of parallel electric roads compels the 
change, to save what traffic there is, irrespective of how operat¬ 
ing expenses are affected. 

In the future development of steam railroad systems they will 
eventually be operated jointly with surface electric railways, either 
through actual mutual ownership or by traffic contracts, leases, etc. 

The above conclusions are obviously dependent upon what Mr. 
Prout properly defines as “ traffic conditions, ” and not primarily engi¬ 
neering details or operating expenses. 

Laws of Passenger Traffic. 

The laws of passenger movement are not well defined, and many 
of them are illusive and hard to determine; the causes of loss or gain 
are often largely a matter of individual judgment, so that the follow¬ 
ing outline of them must not be taken as in any way exact. 

People travel from one place to another from (1), necessity, and 
(2), pleasure or whim. 

They are induced to travel more or less often according to: 

1. Total Cost from Point of Departure to Objective Point and Return to 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 389 


EXPLANATION 

Multiplier for 

Curve Vertical Scale 

1. Total Miles of Track-1 000 

2. Annual Increase of Mileage-100 

3. Total Population of the United States-1000 000 

4. Percentage of Increase of Population of United States-1 

5. Density of Population of the United States-1 

6. “ “ “ “ Massachusetts_2 

7. Total Urban Population of the United States-100 000 

8. Percentage of Urban to Total Population of the United States- Vi 

9. Total Population of New York,New Jersey and Pennsylvania-100 000 

10. “ “ “ Massachusetts-100 000 

11 . “ “ “ New York City-10 000 

12. “ “ “ Brooklyn-10 000 

13. “ “ “ Philadelphia-10 000 

14. “ “ Served by N.Y.& P.R.T.R.R_100 000 


Mr. Davis. 



Fig.1. 
























































































































390 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


. Davis. Place of Beginning. —As tlie total cost is reduced, travel, due to both 
fundamental causes, is increased; presumably less rapidly than the 
. total cost falls. Note that the important factor to the passenger is 
total cost, and not cost per mile traveled. 

2. Total Time Consumed in Making the Round Trip. —As the total 
time consumed is reduced, travel, due to both fundamental causes, is 
increased, presumably less rapidly than the total time falls. Velocity 
of transportation is not primarily effective in inducing travel, for it 
makes no difference to the passenger whether he be carried 80 miles in 
30 minutes or only 12 miles. 

3. Total Conveniences Afforded the Passenger. —These may be divided 
into: 

( a) Proximity of departure and arrival points to possible 
passengers. As a “ leave-at-your-door ” service is approached, 
passenger traffic increases, but according to no known ratio to 
distance. Wellington laid down an approximate rule of loss of 
natural revenue for steam railroads of 10% per mile of removal 
from center of population as a minimum, 25% per mile as an 
ordinary maximum and a much larger percentage of loss, or even 
total loss, under certain conditions. Electric street railways have 
profited more by this kind of service, which they offer the public, 
than from any other reason; in furnishing it they give frequent 
and quick service, both of which are of the greatest importance 
in their effect on passenger traffic. Much less than a mile, how¬ 
ever, will make or ruin the passenger traffic of a street railway. 

( b ) Frequency of the service. As the number of trips in¬ 
creases, so will the passengers, but less rapidly than the head¬ 
way is shortened. A frequent service means less “ total time ”■ 
consumed. 

(c) Character of terminals, stations, roadbed, equipment, 
and, in fact, all physical characteristics. That transportation 
system which offers, at the same rate and time, better physical 
conditions, which give comfort or even luxury to the passenger, 
will not only secure competitive traffic, but induce that which 
would not otherwise exist. 

4. Total Population .—As the population served increases, the pas¬ 
senger trips per capita per annum increase, and somewhat faster than 
the inhabitants, unless modified by density and distribution. 

5. Density .—As the density increases, it is probable that the rides 
per capita per annum also increase, but whether more or less rapidly 
is uncertain. * 

6. Distribution. —A long, narrow town will give more rides per capita 
per annum than a square town having the same population. 

* In an earlier publication the writer expressed the opinion that the increase was 
less rapid than the density, but wishes to leave this open for further investigation. 



DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS 


391 


EX PLANATIO N. 

Multiplier for 

Curve. Vertical Scale. 

1. Total Miles of Track_ 10 

2. Annual Increase of Mileage- 10 

3. Total Capital Stock, in Dollars- 500 000 

4. “ Bonded Debt “ k ‘ -500 000 

5. “ Capitalization “ “ 500 000 


6. “ “ per Mile of Track, in Dollars 500 



Fig. 2. 
















































































































392 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


. Davis. 7. Character of the Industries and Population .—The effect of various 
industries and the kind of population must have a decided effect on 
the passenger traffic, but probably according to no fixed laws, and cer¬ 
tainly according to no known laws. 

No “detailed defence” is offered for these laws other than what 
support they may obtain from the following discussion. 

Any management of a steam railroad, in considering the question 
of adopting electric traction, will naturally turn first to data on operat¬ 
ing expenses, for, if its use should lower the cost per train or car-mile 
enough to more than pay interest on the investment, then it would 
be of advantage, even though there were no other inducements, such 
as increased traffic. While comparisons might be made between the 
operating expenses of steam railroads, which are now well known, and 
such electrically operated roads as the Chicago Elevated Railways, 
or the third-rail lines of the New York, New Haven and Hartford 
Railroad, yet there are disadvantages in doing so which outweigh 
the apparent one of more similar conditions than exist between the 
ordinary street railway and the steam railroad. If it should appear 
that the operating expenses of electric street railways per car-mile 
are less than the cost per car-mile operated on steam railroads, 
one can be certain that electrical operation, applied to the latter, 
will result in reduced expenses. Whether or not this reduction 
will be enough to pay for the change is another question. For these 
reasons, a comparison between the street railways and steam rail¬ 
roads of the New England States has been taken as a basis in .this 
discussion. 

To exhibit the relative merits of the two systems of installations, 
the following divisions are arranged in tabular form and are treated 
in order. The prefixion of the word “electric” or “steam” indicates 
that the item belongs exclusively to one or the other system and has 
no counterpart in the other. 

In comparing the steam and electric roads of New England, we 
are more likely to arrive at correct conclusions, as the population is 
more dense, the miles of road greater per square mile, there are manv 
more examples to study, and the statistics are more accurate and 
reliable, and cover longer periods. The word “ Railroad ” is used to 
designate a “steam railroad,” while “Railway” always indicates an 
“electric street railway,” following Massachusetts precedent; the 
difference being that the former operates on its own right-of-way, 
while the latter occupies the public highway. This distinction is 
a desirable one to cultivate, and should be extended and used 
irrespective of the mode of operation; thus, a road operating by 
steam, electricity or any other motive power on its own right-of- 
way is a “railroad,” and one operating on a public highway is a 
“ railway.” 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 393 


Mr. Davis. 


EXPLANATION. 


Curve. 


Multiplier for 
Vertical Scale. 


1. Total Miles of Track_ 100 

2. Annual Increase of Mileage_ 10 

3. Total Capital Stock, in Dollars_ _ _ 10 000 000 

4. “ Bonded Debt “ “ _ 1000 000 

5. “ Capitalization “ “ _ 10 000000 


6. “ “ per Mile of Track, in Dollars 1000 



Fig. 3. 


























































394 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. 


TABLE No. 1. 


1. FIRST COST. 


{a) 


Right-Of-Way and Real Estate. 


( b ) Construction. 


(Electric) 

(Electric) 


1. Engineering and surveying. 

2. Clearing. 

3. Grading, ditching, etc. 

4. Tunnels. 

5. Masonry, culverts, bridges, trestles. 

6. Fencing, cattle-guards, road-crossings. 

7. Ballasting. 

8. Ties. 

9. Rails. 

10. Track-laying, lining and surfacing. 

11. Rail bonding. 

12. Overhead-trolley line, or third rail. 

13. Signals. 

14. Telegraph. 

15. Stations and all buildings (including buildings for central 

power stations of electric roads). 

16. Terminals. 


•(c) Equipment. 

(Steam.) 

(Electric) 


(Electric) 

(Electric) 


( d ) General. 

1. Discount on bonds. 

2. Interest on bonds, to opening of road. 

3. Taxes, to opening of road. 

4. Office expenses, salaries, etc., to opening of road. 

5. Contingent and miscellaneous, not itemized, to opening 

of road. 


1. Locomotives and tenders. 

2. Motor cars or electric locomotives. 

3. Passenger cars. 

4. Freight cars. 

5. Electric feeder lines and ground-return circuit. 

6. Central power stations (not including buildings which 
are considered under “Construction ”). 


(Electric! 

(Electric) 

(Electric) 


(Electric) 


2. TOTAL EXPENSES. 

( a ) Maintenance and Renewal of Way and Works. 

1. Repairs of earthwork to subgrade. 

2. Repairs of track. 

3. Repairs offences, cattleguards, crossings, etc. 

4. Repairs of ground-return circuit. 

5. Repairs of overhead-trolley line, or third rail. 

6. Repairs of electric feeder lines. 

7. Renewals of rails. 

8. Renewals of ties. 

9. Renewals of ballast. 

10. Renewals of poles, or insulation of third rail. 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 395 


(Electric) 11. 
(Electric) 12. 

13. 

14. 

15. 


(Steam) 

(Electric) 


(Steam) 

(Electric) 


1 . 

2 . 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6 . 


7. 

8 . 

9. 

(Steam) 10. 
(Electric) 11. 

12 . 

13. 

(Electric) 14. 
(Electric) 15. 


Renewals of trolley, or third rail. Mr. Davis. 

Renewals of feeders. 

Repairs of masonry, bridges, trestles. 

Repairs of buildings. 

Repairs of signals. 

( b ) Train Expenses. 

Fuel for locomotives. 

Fuel for power stations. 

Water supply. 

Oil and waste. 

Repairs and maintenance of locomotives and tenders. 

Repairs and maintenance of motor cars or electric 
locomotives. 

Repairs and maintenance of passenger cars. 

Repairs and maintenance of freight cars. 

Use of foreign passenger and freight cars. 

Locomotive services (wages). 

Motor car or electric locomotive services (wages). 

Passenger-train services (wages). 

Freight-train services (wages). 

Repairs and maintenance of power stations. 

Power-station services (wages). 


(c) Station, Terminal, Taxes and General Expenses. 

1. Agents and station services (wages). 

2. Station supplies. 

3. Telegraph. 

4. Taxes. 

5. General officers and clerks. 

6. Legal. 

7. Insurance. 

8. Stationery and printing. 

9. Agencies and advertising. 

10. Contingent and miscellaneous, not included above. 


(d) Accidents, Loss and Damages. 

1. To freight. 

2. To passengers. 

3. To property owned. 

4. To property not owned. 

(e) Interest Account. 

(/) Fixed Charges. 

1. Interest on bonds. 

2. Rentals. 

( g ) Dividends. 

3. GROSS RECEIPTS. 

1. Passenger receipts. 

2. Freight receipts. 

3. Miscellaneous receipts. 


396 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


1. First Cost. 

Mr. Davis. We shall consider a new line under steam-railroad conditions, first, 
and then a change of system on an existing railroad. 

The first cost of (a) “Right-of-Way and Real Estate” cannot be 
affected by any particular motive power unless the use of electric 
traction permits the use of sharper curves and heavier grades, thus 
avoiding large cuts or fills. While a coupled locomotive undoubtedly 
increases “curve resistance,” this is not sufficient to be of any great 
moment. If electric motors are applied to every car axle, then trains 
of the same weight, moved by electricity, can surmount heavier 
grades than with locomotives or can pass over the same grades at 
higher speeds. Hill climbing is a matter of traction between driven 
wheels and rails, and the sustained horse-power of the motor or 
locomotive. With the power applied to every axle, there is no part 
of the load which remains unutilized for traction, but this cannot be 
done by the application of steam, and has, as yet, been only partially 
successful with electric motors. With the latter, their maximum 
power can be called upon for an indefinite time, because they do not 
give out at the top of a long, heavy grade. This advantage of electric 
traction is, however, only apparent; first, because long trains are not 
yet satisfactorily controlled where motors are put on every axle, and 
short trains of two to five cars have only half the axles supplied with 
power in present practice; and second, electricity being confined to 
suburban and interurban short hauls between large centers of popu¬ 
lation, the additional cost of avoiding heavy grades is comparatively 
small, and furthermore, if they are not avoided the loss in time would 
result in a correspondingly larger loss of revenue. 

Under ( b ) “ Construction ” we find that items 11 and 12 apply to 
electric traction only, while there are no items applying to steam- 
locomotive traction only. These items might have been placed under 
the heading “ equipment,” as part of the things necessary in electric 
traction to replace steam locomotives and which could be added to 
motor cars or electric locomotives as equipment for an electric road. 
This jffiase of the question will be discussed under the heading 
“equipment.” The engineering of an electric line might cost more 
than that of a steam road, but not necessarily; if the chief engineer 
was a competent railroad man with a thorough knowledge of electrical 
engineering, the cost would be the same; otherwise it would be 
increased by that amount paid an assistant engineer with special 
electrical knowledge, unless the line was costly enough to warrant 
several assistant engineers, one of whom could be versed in electrical 
matters. 

The cost of surveying work, consisting of reconnaissance, explora¬ 
tion line (“shoo-fly ”), preliminary, location, and their modifications 
or extensions, depending upon the importance of the line, its cost, 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM EOR RAILROADS. 397 


EXPLANATION 


Mr. Davis. 


Multiplier for 


Curve. Vertical Scale. 

1. Gross Traffic Earnings, in Dollars._100 000 

2. Total Interest on Bonded Debt, in Dollars_ 10 000 

3. “ Dividends on Capital Stock, in Dollars_ 10 000 

4. Gross Traffic Earnings per Mile of Track, in Dollars_ 100 

5. Percentage of Expenses to Gross Earnings_ 1 

6. “ “ Interest paid on Bonded Debt_ Via 

17. “ “ Dividends “ “ Capital Stock_ Via 

8. Gross Earnings per Revenue Train-Mile (Car-Mile), in cents 1 

9. “ Expenses “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ 1 


Earnings of Street Railways. 

176 
168 
160 
152 
144 
136 
128 
120 
112 
104 
96 
88 
80 
72 
64 
56 
48 
40 
32 
24 
16 
8 
0 



Fig. 4. 






























































398 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis, character of city and country, etc., would be the same in either of the 
cases under discussion for any specific example. The cost of clearing, 
grading, ditching, tunnels, masonry, culverts, fencing, cattle-guards, 
and those parts of the system pertaining to these general items, is not 
affected by the choice of system. It might be thought, at first, that 
the cost of masonry would be affected if lighter bridges and trestles 
could be used with electric traction, but the weight and size of 
masonry abutments, piers, footings, etc., would hardly be affected by 
any slight changes in the moving load, for they are much more 
dependent upon the weight of the earth embankment which they 
support and the character of the ground upon which they are built, 
together with their height and length. If they perform all their other 
functions according to the best engineering practice, they will usually 
be found far more substantial than, theoretically, they need to be, in 
order to uphold the weight of the superstructure. Road crossings 
will be the same; (the additional cost of connecting a “broken” 
third-rail system being included under item 12.) 

In the design of bridges and trestles, the principal elements which 
determine their cost are the span, dead weight, live uniform-load, 
concentrated live-load at head of trains (locomotive and tender), the 
speed of trains, and the “hammer-blow” of the reciprocating parts 
of a steam locomotive, especially when it coincides with the period of 
oscillation of a bridge (very objectionable on bridges which are too 
light). Electric motors, either geared to the axles or gearless (con¬ 
centric with the axle), have a rotative motion, and therefore do not 
produce the “hammer-blow.” Owing to the peculiar construction of 
the electric locomotive or motor car, a greater proportion of the total 
weight is on the driving wheels than is the case with steam loco¬ 
motives; therefore, with the same tractive effect (weight on drivers), 
the use of electric locomotives or motor cars reduces the moving 
weight at the head of the train, and the weight of the tender is saved 
by the use of electricity. These three facts, theoretically, would 
enable bridges and trestles to be built lighter for roads using electric 
motors, providing the loads were not concentrated upon a smaller 
wheel base, were it not for the fact that the necessity of providing for 
constantly increasing weights practically offsets the theoretical saving 
which might be made. If motors were used on every car of the train, 
such structures might be designed so as to be lighter and less costly, 
but, for reasons stated, this is unlikely. In addition, if freight 
service should continue to be handled by locomotives on the same 
tracks or adjoining ones, lighter bridges would not be possible. 

The cost of ballasting, ties, rails and track-laying, lining and 
surfacing will be the same in either case (drilling rails for bonding is 
covered by item 11), although a small saving in maintenance of these 
items is possible for electric traction (discussed under “total 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 399 


Curve. 

1 . 

2 . 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6 . 

7. 

8 . 
9. 

10 . 

11 . 

12 . 


EX PLANATI ON. Multiplier for 

Vertical Scale. 

Gross Traffic Earnings, in Dollars_1 000 000 

Total Interest on Bonded Debt, in Dollars_100 000 

“ Dividends on Capital Stock, in Dollars_100 000 

Gross Traffic Earnings per Mile of Track, in Dollars_100 

Percentage of Expenses to Gross Earnings-1 

“ “ Interest Paid on Bonded Debt_Vio 

“ “ Dividends “ “ Capital Stock_•._'/ 10 

Gross Earnings per Revenue Train-Mile, in Cents_1 

“ Expenses “ “ “ “ “ “ _1 

Percentage of Passenger Earnings to Gross Earnings_ Vi 

“ “ Freight “ “ “ “ ———Vi 

“ “ Interest and Dividends paid on \ 

Capital Stock and Bonded Debt >_'/io 



Mr. Davis. 


Fjg. 5. 





































































400 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis, expense ”), which indicates that the first cost could be reduced for the 
same cost of operating; yet, as this would be poor economy, the 
quality, weight and general character should be the same in either 
case. By the use of electricity it might, at first, appear that the signal 
and telegraph system would be reduced in first cost, but the only 
possible saving would be in the source of the current used, which 
forms so small a percentage of the whole that for our purposes any 
difference can be neglected. 

Stations would cost the same under similar conditions, whether 
steam or electricity were used, although the electric road requires 
buildings for its centralized motive-power plant (that is, all but the 
transmission line and motors) which are not a burden on the steam 
road, yet these are no doubt balanced by round houses, coal stations, 
water stations and the larger machine shops required for steam locomo¬ 
tive repairs. Terminals will cost the same, whichever system is used. 

So far, we have found that the first cost of construction is substan¬ 
tially the same, whether steam locomotives or electric motors are used, 
but, if the latter are adopted, some additional work is necessary, 
namely, (11) rail bonding and (12) overhead-trolley line or third rail. 
It will at once be seen that these items add considerably to the cost of 
construction of an electric road, as compared with that of a road 
operated by steam locomotives. 

As an example, which will show, in a general way, the increased 
cost of electric-traction construction, let us assume, without any 
pretension to exactness, for each individual case will differ in the 
amount of increased cost, that the line is single track, one mile long; 
average speed of trains (including stops) 20 miles per hour; headway, 
one minute; length, six cars (one being a motor car); total weight of 
train, 200 tons when loaded to ultimate capacity; rails, 90 lbs. per 
yard; average nominal horse-power, 300 per train (will exert 450 H.- 
P., or even more, if required for short periods); total maximum 
average nominal horse-power per mile of track (one way) at above 
headway, 900; average loss in transmission, 20.%; assumed average 
nominal horse-power at station, 1 125 (allowing for loss and including 
surplus power), located at one end of the line. With these assump¬ 
tions, we have the following approximate additional cost for construc¬ 
tion, if electricity is used. The electric return circuit would consist 
of the two lines of rail properly bonded with copper wires, two 4/0 B. 
& S. G. wires to each rail joint, which would cost (copper, 15 cents 
per pound), complete in place, including terminals and drilling rails, 
70 cents each bond, or a total of $497. To this must be added the 
cross-bonding of the lines of rails, which varies much in practice. For 
our case we assume that this is unnecessary, if the bonds at the joints 
are properly made, and maintained with the care displayed on other 
parts of the system. The overhead-trolley line would be of iron 


DISCUSSION" ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 401 


EX PLANATI ON. 

Multiplier for 

Curve. Vertical Scale. 

1. Passenger Train-Miles (Car-Miles.)_ 1 000 000 

2. Total Passengers Carried_2 000 000 


i. Gross Passenger Earnings. (Same as Curve 1, Fig.4)___ 

0. Receipts per Passenger Carried, in Cents._Mo 

7. “ “ “ Train-Mile. (Same as Curve 8, Fig.4)._ 

8. “ “ Mile of Track. (Same as Curve 4, Fig. 4).__ 


9. Number of Passengers Carried per Mile of Track_2 000 

11. Passenger Rides per Capita per Annum_1 

12. Receipts per Capita per Annum, in Dollars_Vxo 


Passenger Traffic of Street Railways. 



144 

136 

128 

120 

112 

104 

96 

88 

80 


72 

64, 

56 

48 

40 

32 

24 

16 

8 

0 


Mr. Davis. 


Fig. 6. 





























































402 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Davis, poles, center-construction (assuming that there would be a double 
track); trolley wire 423 200 circular mils; poles set every 100 ft., each 
weighing 1 300 lbs. (30 ft. by 8 ins. and 7 ins. and 6 ins.) set in concrete, 
would cost for one mile, approximately, $3 237 (one-half of poles with 
brackets and feeder supports, etc., set at $50 each; trolley 6 748 lbs., 
at 15 cents; special line material, $500; labor, $400). 

To recapitulate: One mile of track equipped electrically will cost: 

(11) Rail bonding. In this case the cost of ground- 
return circuit is not an extra cost against the 
electric road, for the rails are used, they having 


sufficient capacity to carry the current. (See 

Equipment). $497 

(12) Overhead-trolley line. 3 237 


Total extra per mile for electric trolley 

railroad. $3 734 


If a third-rail system were used, which is probable where the road 
is on its own right-of-way and where high speeds and frequent service 
are necessary together with longer and heavier trains than the single 
cars of a railway system, then the increased cost would be approxi¬ 


mately : 

(11) Rail bonding, as before. $497 

(12) 70.7 tons 90-lb. third-rail, special section, at $30.. 2 121 

528 treated wooden supports at $1. 528 

176 joints to bond, at $3. 528 

Laying, at 5 cents per foot. 264 


Total extra per mile for third-rail electric 

railroad. $3 938 


The apparent difference in favor of the overhead trolley must not 
be assumed to exist generally; accidentally, it happens to be less in 
the first case than in the second, while usually, on long lines with 
dense traffic, the reverse would be true. 

There being no items applicable exclusively to steam railroads, to 
balance (11) and (12), it is seen that the first cost of construction of an 
electric road will be greater and that this increase will amount to 
several thousand dollars per mile of track, depending upon the 
conditions existing in each case. 

Under (c) “Equipment,” if the road is to be equipped to operate 
freight trains by electric power, there are two possible ways of doing 
so; first, by using the present style of freight cars and hauling them 
by electric locomotives; or second, by equipping each car with motors, 
thus making each an independent unit. The latter would only be 
feasible could the units be coupled together and controlled at the 












DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 403 


Curve. 

1 . 

2 . 

3. 

i. 

5. 

6 . 

7. 

8 . 
9. 

10 . 

11 . 


EX PLANATI ON. 

Multiplier for 
Vertical Scale. 

Passenger Train-Miles___i 000 000 

Total Passengers Carried- 1 000 000 

Passengers Carried one Mile_10 000 000 

Gross Passenger Earnings, in Dollars_1 000 000 

Receipts per Passenger per Mile Carried, in Cents_ l / l0 

“ “ “ Carried, in Cents_1 

“ “ “ Train-Mile, in Cents_1 

“ Mile of Track, in Dollars_100 

Number of Passengers Carried per Mile of Track_100 

Miles Traveled per Passenger___ X 

Passenger Rides per Capita per Annum_1 



Mr. Davis. 


Fig. 7. 


































































404 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. 


EXPLANATION OF FIG. 8. 


Curves Deduced from Fig. 2. Multiplier for 

Curve. Vertical Scale. 

1. Total Miles of Track. 100 

2. Annual Increase of Mileage. 100 

3. Total Capital Stock, in Dollars. 500 000 

4. 44 Bonded Debt, 44 “ 500 000 

5. 4 4 Capitalization, u “ . 1 000 000 

6. “ “ per Mile of Track Owned, in dollars. 500 

Curves Deduced from Fig. 4. 

1. Gross Traffic Earnings, in Dollars. 1 000 000 

2. Total Interest on Bonded Debt, in Dollars. 100 000 

3. 41 Dividends on Capital Stock, in Dollars. 100 000 

4. Gross Traffic Earnings per Mile of Railroad, in Dollars. 100 

5. Percentage of Expenses to Gross Earnings. 1 

6. 44 44 Interest Paid on Bonded Debt. t 1 ® 

7. 44 44 Dividends Paid on Capital Stock. T x o 

8. Gross Earnings per Revenue Train-Mile (Car-Mile) in Cents. 1 

9. 44 Expenses 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 . 1 

Curves Deduced from Fig. 6. 

1. Passenger Train-Miles (Car-Miles). 1 000 000 

2. Total Passengers Carried. 10 000 000 

4. Gross Passenger Earnings (Same as Curve 1, Fig. 4)... 

6. Receipts per Passenger Carried, in Cents. 

7. 44 44 44 Train-Mile (Same as Curve 8, Fig. 4). . 

8. 44 44 Mile of Railroad (Same as Curve 4, Fig. 4). . 

9. Number of Passengers Carried per Mile of Railroad. 10 000 

11. Passenger Rides per Capita per Annum. 1 

12. Receipts per Capita per Annum, in Dollars. & 


head of the train; but imagine interchanging and making up a train 
of 50 to 100 cars arranged in this way by any present known mode of 
electric equipment, control and propulsion; no arguments seem 
necessary to show the folly of attempting it to-day. The only 
feasible method is evidently by electric locomotives at the head of 
such trains. The best practical example of this mode of operation is 
given in the Baltimore Tunnel of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, 
where 100-ton electric locomotives haul freight and passenger trains, 
together with their steam locomotives. They do the work satis¬ 
factorily, but the writer has seen no claims advanced to show that 
they are economical; in fact, the only defence for their use is one of 
cleanliness and ventilation in the tunnel, which is more satisfactory to 
passenger traffic, and undoubtedly attracts and stimulates it. The 
installation cost, if the writer’s memory serves, over $2 000 000 for a few 
miles of track; so that the interest on this sum is much more than 
enough to offset any saving in operation, if even the latter can be shown. 
This is extremely doubtful. Such an investment could not be justified 
on any grounds if only freight were handled, although it may be by an 
increase in the passenger traffic. Freight trains are slow-moving, heavy 
units, requiring large powers constantly applied, and are run at com¬ 
paratively infrequent intervals. The effort of all steam railroad man- 





























1880 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 405 



Mr. Davis. 


Curves deduced from Fig. 2 Curves deduced from Fig. a 


Curves deduced from Fig. 6 


Fig. 8. 
































































406 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. 


EXPLANATION OF FIG. 9. 
Curves Deduced from Fig. 3. 

Curve. 

1. Total Miles of Track. 

2. Annual Increase of Mileage. 

3. Total Capital Stock, in Dollars. 

4. “ Bonded Debt, “ “ . 

5. “ Capitalization, “ “ .. 

6. “ per mile of Railroad, in Dollars . 


Multiplier for 
Vertical Scale. 


100 

10 

10 000 000 
1 000 000 
* J0 000 000 
1 000 


Curves Deduced from Fig. 5. 

1. Gross Traffic Earnings, in Dollars. 

2. Total Interest on Bonded Debt, in Dollars. 

3. “ Dividends on Capital Stock, in Dollars. 

4. Gross Traffic Earnings per Mile of Railroad, in Dollars. 

5. Percentage of Expenses to Gross Earnings. 

6. “ “ Interest Paid on Bonded Debt. 

7. “ “ Dividends “ “ Capital Stock. 

8. Gross Earnings per Revenue Train-Mile, in Cents. 

9. “ Expenses “ “ “ “ . 

10. Percentage of Passenger Earnings to Gross Earnings. 

11. “ “ Freight “ “ “ “ . 

12. “ “ Interest and Dividends Paid on Capital Stock and 

Bonded Debt. 


1 000 000 
100 000 
100 000 
100 
1 

10 

1 

1 

h 

h 


Curves Deduced from Fig. 7. 

1. Passenger Train-Miles. 

2. Total Passengers Carried... 

3. Passengers Carried One Mile. 

4. Gross Passenger Earnings, in Dollars. 

5. Receipts per Passenger per Mile Carried, in Cents. 

6. “ “ “ Carried, in Cents. 

7. “ “ Train-Mile, in Cents. 

8. ‘ “ Mile of Railroad, in Dollars. 

9. Number of Passengers Carried per Mile of Railroad ... 

10. Miles Traveled per Passenger. 

11. Passenger Rides per Capita per Annum. 

12. Receipts per Capita, per Annum, in Dollars. 


1 000 000 
10 000 000 
100 000 000 
1 000 000 

tV 

1 

1 

100 
1 000 

4 

1 

1 


agers is to increase train-loads, so as to decrease expenses per train-mile. 
If we apply the following argument and figures, changing the example 
to moving heavy freight trains, it will be seen at once that such traffic 
cannot now be handled by electric locomotives, involving heavy line 
work and large central stations (idle most of the 24 hours'), for the main 
reason that interest on first cost will more than offset the largest 
possible saving in expenses. This saving would not exist, but if it 
should, more than 50 % would be needed. 

Passenger cars would cost the same in either case, as the cost of 
installing electric lighting and heating systems in the cars would bal¬ 
ance the present gas lighting and steam heating systems of railroad 
passenger cars. 

Should motor cars be used, carrying passengers, there would be a 
saving equal to the cost of one passenger car per train in favor of the 
electric road. If an electric locomotive were used, there would be no 
such saving. If every car were a motor car, then the cost of a steam 

































DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 407 


Mr. Davis. 

























































































408 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 

Mr. Davis, locomotive per train would be saved in tbe case of electric traction; 

this, however, would add to the cost of each car. This method is not 
satisfactorily solved to-day, although short trains are operated with 
more or less success. 

Steam locomotives and tenders are to steam roads what motor cars 
(or electric locomotives), electric-feeder lines and ground-return cir¬ 
cuits, and central power stations (without buildings) are to electric 
railways. To show the relative costs, let us again consider the former 
example. The feeder line would be about two 4/0 B. & S. G. wires of 
bare copper, as the company owns the right-of-way and crossings of 
public highways at grade are unlikely on roads of the character we are 
discussing; these would cost, in place, $1 117 ($1 012 for copper and 
$105 for stringing). It will be noticed that the trolley wire suggested 
is much larger than that used in general practice, and, as it has large 
carrying capacity, part of its cost might have been included in the 
cost of feeders. If the third rail were used in place of an overhead 
trolley, as explained before, this feeder system would be unnecessary, 
as the 90-lb. third rail when properly bonded has enough section to 
carry the current. 

In our example the area of copper in the overhead system is 
846 400 circular mils, equivalent to 920 mils diameter, which gives a. 
total cross-section of 0.657 sq. in. A 90-lb. rail has a sectional 
area of 9 sq. ins. Taking the relative conductivity of steel and 
copper as 1 to 6, we find that each rail is equivalent to 1.5 sq. ins. 
of copper, and both rails to 3 sq. ins.; therefore, until the overhead 
system had a cross-section of more than 3 sq. ins., there would be 
no necessity for any copper ground-return circuit, so long as the bond¬ 
ing section at the joints was the same as that of the overhead work. 
In case the area of both rails divided by 6 is less than the area of over¬ 
head copper, the copper ground-return wire should be of a section 
equivalent to the excess in section of overhead copper. This ground 
return can be run on the pole line and connected down to the rails at 
intervals, or along the track, as may seem best in any given case. 

The central power station of 1 125 nominal H.-P. could be erected 
complete (without buildings, included under “ construction ”) for $50 
per H.-P., which would provide a plant of the most modern kind, 
giving the greatest economy (in the largest sense). In general, it 
would consist of a steel stack lined with fire-brick, water-tube boilers, 
pumps, piping, condensers, heaters, blowers, direct-connected Corliss 
engines, direct-connected generators, slate switchboards, best indicat¬ 
ing and recording instruments, etc., with all the best labor-saving 
and automatic devices which help to make a thoroughly successful 
plant. The total cost of the power plant would be $56 250. We will 
not discuss the use of an electric locomotive, but assume the use of 
motor cars drawing trailers, as it would only make a small difference 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 409 


in the total amount given in the example. The figures, in any case, Mr. Davis, 
are only indicative. The same can be said of equipping each car as a 
motor car. 

In the estimate of 200 tons as the weight of a 6-car train, one being 
a motor car, the car bodies assumed are 45 ft. over sills and 51 ft. over 
all, with two trucks having four wheels each, the wheels being 33 ins. 
in diameter; car body weighing 22 000 lbs.; trucks, 13 000 lbs.; total, 

35 000 lbs.; average maximum passengers, 150 at 150 lbs. each, 22 500 
lbs.; making the total weight of the passenger car loaded 57 500 lbs. 

The motor car is assumed to have four motors, one on each axle or 
geared to it, its total weight loaded being 112 500 lbs. (56.25 tons 
loaded, 45 tons empty, all on drivers). The trucks of this motor car 
would be heavier than those of the trail cars, and with larger wheels. 

With two four-wheel pivotal trucks, the weight on each driving wheel 
would be 14 082 lbs. loaded, or 11 250 lbs. empty. The complete trail 
cars can be assumed to cost, for steam or electricity, about $3 500; 
the complete motor car, about $7 000. A steam locomotive and tender 
of the same power and tractive force would cost about $9 000 (engine, 

$7 700; tender, $1 300). It will be noticed that the heating of cars has 
had no consideration herein. While this would add to the first cost 
of an electric system, by increasing the required capacity of transmis¬ 
sion line and power house, and would undoubtedly add to the cost of 
operating as compared with steam-locomotive practice, yet available 
data are so unreliable that a discussion of them is postponed. To 
recapitulate: On the basis of our example, we see that items 2, 5 and 
6 of the electric system of equipment leave only item 1 on the steam 
side of the ledger to balance them. It equalizes a small part only. 

The New York Central Railroad, in 1885, with 2 716 miles of single 
track, had $2 337 (5.7,%) per mile invested in locomotives for pas¬ 
senger and freight service, and must have considerably more to¬ 
day. If we deduct investment for freight locomotives and compare 
with the following, it gives some idea of the difference in first cost of 
equipment against the electric system with only passenger service con¬ 


sidered : 

Feeder line . $1 117 

Ground return (in this case no additional cost). 

Central power station. 56 250 


$57 367 

Deduct difference between 3 motor cars and 3 locomo¬ 
tives and tenders. 6 000 


Total extra per mile for electric trolley road. $51 367 


To estimate a 10-mile road at ten times the above would be unfair, 
for, unless the train density remained the same on every mile and a 
power station were built for every mile, it could not be in direct pro- 








410 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


. Davis, portion. In general, the feeder system increases in cost with the 
distance, while the power station increases in cost with the weights 
moved and their speed. There would undoubtedly be found conditions 
of very light trains, at very frequent intervals, over short distances, 
where the larger cost of locomotives and tenders would balance the 
items which usually make electricity the more costly; these conditions 
must more nearly approach those which now exist in street railway 
service. It is evident that with units weighing 10 to 15 tons, run at 
intervals of 20 seconds to 5 minutes, any steam-locomotive system 
would prove undesirable, both by its greater first cost and operating 
expenses. 

“ Electric feeder lines and ground-return circuit ” is placed under 
the heading “ equipment ” rather than under “ construction ” for the 
purposes of this discussion; in a system operated by electricity the 
opposite course would be pursued, and has been followed in consider¬ 
ing “total expenses.” “ Central power stations” (all but buildings) 

would naturally be in the motive power department, and are so con¬ 
sidered herein. 

“ General ” items of “first cost ” would be unaffected by the char¬ 
acter of the system. A few years ago, when the word “electricity,” 
as applied to street railways, was more attractive in banking and 
investing circles, higher prices for bonds might have been obtained 
by the use of that system, but elements of this kind are not within the 
scope of this discussion. Taxes are based on value, not on cost, and 
are therefore unaffected by any particular system. 

Should an existing railroad change its motive power on all or a part 
of its system, the following items would represent the investment 
which would be made, the interest upon which must either be saved 
or earned to warrant it: 

( b ) Construction. 

1. Engineering. 

(Electric) 11. Rail bonding. 

(Electric) 12. Overhead-trolley line or third rail. 

15. Buildings for central power stations. 


(Electric) 

(Electric) 

(Electric) 


(c) Equipment. 

2. Motor cars or electric locomotives. 

3. Passenger cars (trail cars, or if motors are applied to 

every car). 

5. Electric feeder lines and ground-return circuit. 

6. Central power stations (not including buildings which 

are considered under “ construction ”). 

( d ) General. 

1. Discount on bonds. 

2. Interest on bonds to opening of road. 

3. Taxes to opening of road. 

5. Contingent and miscellaneous, not itemized, to opening 
of road. & 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS.. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 411 


TABLE No. 2.—Cost of New York Central and Hudson River Mr. Davis. 

Railroad, 1885. 

(2 716.05 miles of single track.) 


Item. 

Cost per mile of single track. 

Percentage. 

1. Grading and masonry. 

$7 749 

1 066 

18.9 

2.6 

2. Bridges, etc. 

3. Superstructure. 

11 439 

27.9 

4. Stations, etc. 

5 453 

13.3 

13.6 

5.7 

5. Land and land damages. 

5 576 

6. Locomotives. 

2 337 

7. Passenger cars. 

574 

1.4 

8. Freight cars. 

5 576 

13.6 

2.7 

9. Engineering. 

1 107 

10. Floating equipment. 

123 

0.3 


Total. 

$41 000 (approx.) 

100.0 


11. Stock. 

$32 900 

20 700 


12. Bonds. 


Total capitalization. 

$53 600 





All other items would be unaffected on an existing system. Taking 
them up in detail: 

Engineering expenses would not be as great as in the case of a new 
line. Items 11 and 12 under ( b ) “ Construction,” are applicable to 
this case, as already discussed for new lines. Buildings for power 
stations would be an additional cost, unless steam locomotives were 
entirely discarded and old round houses utilized; this, however, is 
hardly likely. Under practically all circumstances steam locomotives 
and tenders would be utilized on other parts of the system or for 
freight service, and therefore no allowance need be made for abandon¬ 
ing them. Items 2 and 3 under (c) “ Equipment ” should be new, and 
old equipment used elsewhere. Any attempt to use existing trucks or 
car bodies, either for motor cars or trailers, would be as bad a mistake 
as was made in the early days of the change from horse to electric 
traction on street railways. Items 5 and 6, under the same heading, 
are also applicable to this case, as already discussed for new lines. 
Items 1, 2, 3 and 5, under (d) “ General ” would have to be charged 
against the change, in proportion to the cost of the same. For all 
practical purposes, the total cost of a change of system is seen to be 
about equal to the difference in cost of two new lines, as follows: 

(b) Construction. S3 734 per mile of track. 

(c) Equipment. 51 367 

(d) General (15%) . 8 265 


(6 




Total 


$63 366 







































412 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS, 


Mr. Davis. 


TABLE No. 3.—Electric Suburban and 


Name of Railway. 

Index No. of Ry. 

Total passengers carried per 

annum; year ending June 

30th, 1898. 

Total length of single track 

operated miles). 

Percentage of operating ex¬ 
penses to gross earnings. 

Total passengers carried per 

mile of single track oper¬ 

ated. 

Total car-miles operated per 

annum. 

Maine (19 roads). 

Augusta, Hallowell & Gardiner Rail¬ 
road . 

S 1 

816 115 

7.00 

53 

116 588 

201 534 

Bangor, Orono & Old Town Railroad. 

S 2 

1 225 028 

17.40 

88 

73 414 

408 570 

Biddeford & Saco Ry. 

S 3 

337 860 

5.72 

67 

58 984 

136 312 

Lewiston & Auburn Horse R. R. 

S’ 4 

1 160 445 

14.00 

77 

82 888 

350 000(a) 

Portland & Cape Elizabeth Ry. 

S 5 

1 095 666 

11.52 

67 

90 600 

128 945 

Portsmouth, Kittery & York St. Ry.. 

8 6 

812 220 

15.20 

58 

54 748 

250 000(a) 

Rockland, Thomaston & Camden St. 

Ry. 

8 7 

960 578 

16.64 

62 

57 727 

268 609 

Totals and averages. 

7 

6 407 912 

87.48 

74 

73 249 

1 743 970 

Connecticut (81 roads). 
Danbury & Bethel St. Ry. 

S 8 

823 669 

10.58 

60 

77 851 

244 533 

Derby Street Ry. 

S 9 

712 344 

5.89 

56 

120 958 

154 275 

Fair Haven & Westville R. R. 

S 10 

4 898 363 

19.89 

56 

246 272 

1 283 642 

Hartford, Manchester & Rockville 
Tramway. 

S'11 

599 429 

17.88 

63 

33 525 

243 542 

Hartford & West Hartford Horse R. 
R. 

S 12 

375 375 

9.70 

98 

38 698 

188 892 

Meriden Electric R. R. 

S’13 

1 439 285 

17.00 

77 

84 663 

445 864 

Norwalk Street Ry. 

S'14 

748 842 

7.52 

69 

99 580 

167 592 

Norwalk Tramway. 

S'15 

816 113 

17.52 

78 

46 466 

302 608 

Norwich Street Ry. 

S'16 

1 256 626 

11.91 

70 

105 476 

223 347 

Torrington & Winchester St. Ry. 

817 

496 726 

12.56 

64 

39 548 

162 684 

Bristol & Plainville Tramway. 

S 18 

543 032 

7.34 

84 

73 978 

145 629 

Central Railway & Electric (New 
Britain). 

S 19 

1 434 105 

16.55 

75 

86 713 

338 403 

Totals and averages. 

12 

14 143 909 

154.34 

67 

91 641 

3 901 011 

Massachusetts (103 roads). 
Arlington & Winchester.. 

S 20 

330 594 

3.33 

67 

99 277 

79 210 

Athol & Orange. 

S 21 

602 227 

6.88 

63 

87 533 

114 075 

Braintree & Weymouth. 

Bridgewater. Whitman & Rockland.. 

S 22 

992 063 

11.88 

65 

83 507 

267 335 

S 23 

546 485 

12.68 

75 

43 098 

220 363 

Brockton, Bridgewater & Taunton.. 

S’24 

1 353 082 

21.07 

58 

64 200 

490 006 

Brockton & East Bridgewater. 

S 25 

364 512 

9.22 

75 

39 531 

105 528 

Dartmouth & Westport. 

S'26 

551 674 

13.73 

70 

40 163 

337 232 

Dighton, Somerset & Swansea. 

S 27 

775 266 

16.78 

71 

46 188 

282 591 

Fitchburg & Leominster. 

S' 28 

2 178 863 

21.43 

64 

101 673 

671 274 

Gloucester, Essex & Beverly... 

S 29 

1 556 243 

22.71 

61 

50 911 

355 932 

Greenfield & Turners Falls. 

S'30 

712 647 

12.86 

64 

55 416 

178 076 

Haverhill & Amesbury. 

S 31 

1 408 722 

26.04 

65 

54 098 

433 833 

Haverhill, Georgetown & Danvers.. 

S 32 

477 268 

6.13 

75 

77 858 

143 160 

Hingham. 

S' 33 

907 048 

19.38 

74 

46 801 

291 842 

Hoosac Valley (North Adams). 

S’ 34 

1 536 505 

13.00 

71 

118138 

349 752 

Interstate Consolidated (R. I.)... 

S’35 

2 589 797 

22.42 

68 

115 513 

660 306 

Leominster & Clinton. 

S 36 

856 817 

11.46 

58 

74 733 

248 306 

Lowell. Lawrence & Haverhill. 

S 37 

8 981 702 

64.82 

56 

138 572 

1 741 291 

Lowell & Suburban . 

S 38 

7 679 147 

64.77 

61 

118 545 

1 938 352 

Lynn & Boston. 

S 39 

29 063 234 

153.83 

57 

188 928 

5 800 287 

Marlborough. 

S 40 

756 465 

7.54 

90 

100 314 

223 834 


(a) Estimated. 















































































Discussion on electricity ys. steam for railroads. 413 


Interurban Railways (R. R. Com. Report). 


Passenger Earnings. 

No. of passengers carried 
per car-mile operated. 

Percentage of dividends 
paid; year ending June 
30th, 1898. 

Permanent investment per 

mile of single track owned; 

year ending June 30th, 1898. 

Capital stock and debts per 

mile of single track owned; 

year ending June 30th, 1898. 

Total operating expenses per 

car-mile operated (cents). 

Per mile of single track 
operated. 

Per car-mile operated 
(cents). 

Per passenger per trip 
(cents). 

Total per annum from 
passengers; year end¬ 
ing June 30th, 1898. 

$5 802 

20.15 

4.97 

$40 227 

4.04 

4.0 

$26 982 

$39 687 

10.90 

8 659 

15.58 

5.19 

61 251 

2.99 

8.0 

15 208 

16 475 

13.76 

4 8b3 

18.30 

7.38 

24 837 

2.47 


23 483 

27 651 

12.27 

3 721 

14.80(a) 

4.48 

51 815 

3.31 (a) 


29 605 

31 985 

11.51 (a) 

3 /9o 

43.31 

5.09 

54 782 

8.49 

i.o 

52 977 

55 637 

28.81 

2 736 

16.42(a) 

5.03 

41 061 

3.25 (a) 

1.2 

26 556 

26 788 

9.57 (a) 

4 099 

25.39 

7.10 

48 028 

3.02 

.... 

19 058 

31 631 

15.93 

f 

S3 680 

18.46 

5.02 

$322 001 

3.10 

.... 

$28 839 

$25 409 

13.71 

4 045 

17.51 

5.13 

42 826 

3.37 

4.0 

50 844 

47 399 

10.64 

6 024 

23.00 

4.98 

35 486 

4.62 


55 515 

58 527 

13.02 

12 459 

19.31 

5.06 

247 812 

3.82 

6.0 

36 436 

43 298 

10.87 

3 422 

25.13 

10.20 

61 192 

2.46 

.... 

29 317 

28 002 

15.92 

3 051 

15.67 

7.88 

29 599 

1.99 


58 323 

52 046 

15.49 

4 245 

16.19 

5.08 

72 176 

3.23 


94 373 

92 507 

12.63 

4 844 

21.74 

4.86 

36 430 

4.47 

4.5 

31 338 

32 159 

15.09 

2 099 

12.16 

4.50 

36 790 

2.70 

2.0 

38 927 

33 406 

9.58 

4 529 

24.17 

4.29 

58 973 

5.63 


45 498 

42 511 

17.08 

1 927 

14.88 

4.86 

24 202 

3.05 


29 987 

28 933 

9.57 

3 641 

18.34 

4.90 

26 718 

3.73 

3.0 

35 827(6) 

31 460(6) 

15.49 

3 856 

18.86 

4.45 

63 821 

4.24 

.... 

78 934(6) 

65 123(6) 

14.26 

$4 736 

16.17 

5.16 

$731 025 

3.62 

.... 

$49 553 

$50 229 

12.53 

4 938 

20.76 

4.97 

16 444 

4.17 


29 831 

28 928 

13.86 

4 281 

25.82 

4.89 

29 339 

5.27 

8.6 

19 771 

17 464 

16.21 

4 087 

18.16 

4.89 

48 258 

3.71 

3.0 

21 248 

20 691 

11.81 

2 136 

12.29 

4.96 

26 960 

2.47 


16 577 

16 940 

9.26 

3 381 

14.55 

5.27 

69 484 

2.76. 

3.6 

24 903 

24 405 

8.29 

1 988 

17.46 

5.06 

18 352 

3.45 


20 981 

20 341 

13.11 

7 055 

28.74 

17.57 

95 578 

1.63 

8.6 

26 594 

24 541 

20.18 

3 668 

21.79 

7.94 

61 516 

2.75 


27 541 

27 328 

15.56 

6 267 

20.01 

6.16 

134 014 

3.24 

8.0 

25 905 

25 787 

12.84 

2 599 

16.59 

5.11 

58 698 

3.24 

3.0 

17 837 

17 880 

10.23 

2 689 

19.38 

4.85 

33 677 

4.00 

4.0 

16 835 

16 386 

12.37 

3 443 

20.67 

6.36 

88 060 

3.24 


25 993 

25 811 

13.46 

3 914 

16.76 

5.03 

23 757 

3.33 


18 176 

17 096 

12.63 

2 304 

15.31 

4.92 

44 197 

3.75 


22 059 

22 741 

11.30 

5 894 

21.92 

4.99 

75 214 

4.38 

6.6 

19 558 

17 881 

15.64 

6 039 

20.50 

5.23 

134 714 

3.99 

6.0 

20 465 

25 083 

14.02 

3 805 

17.57 

5.09 

43 165 

3.45 


31 282 

32 487 

10.22 

6 980 

25.98 

5.04 

448 938 

5.15 

4.6 

48 795 

47 401 

14.68 

5 986 

20.00 

5.05 

380 177 

3.96 

3.0 

36 004 

36 169 

12.28 

9 648 

25.59 

5.11 

1 472 154 

5.01 

8.0 

58 851 

59 200 

14.75 

5 117 

17.24 

5.10 

35 952 

3.38 


24 720 

26 967 

15.60 


(6) Includes cost of electric lighting plant, which could not he separated. 


Mr. Davis. 























































414 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Davis. 


TABLE No. 3 ( Concluded) . —Electric Suburban and 


Name of Railway. 

Index No. of Ry. 

Total passengers carried per 

annum; year ending June 

30th, 1898. 

Total length of single track 

operated (miles). 

Percentage of operating ex¬ 

penses to gross earnings. 

Total passengers carried per 

mile of single track oper¬ 

ated. 

Total car-miles operated per 

annum. 

Milford, Holliston & Framingham.. 


S 41 

1 668 831 

20.34 

60 

82 051 

465 991 

Natick & Cochituate. 


8 42 

1 089 877 

11.00 

84 

99 080 

257 772 

Newbury port & Arnesbury. 


S 43 

1 139 652 

18.38 

92 

62 015 

320 056 

Newton. 


S 44 

1 827 120 

15.78 

67 

115 743 

465 458 

Newton & Boston. 


8 45 

1 098 486 

13.82 

71 

79 468 

456 530 

Norfolk Central (Dedham). 


S 46 

712 551 

6.52 

72 

109 337 

185 583 

Norfolk Suburban (Hyde Park).... 


S 47 

1 972 521 

10.95 

77 

180 188 

423 986 

Northampton. 


8 48 

1 812 627 

17.12 

62 

105 817 

487 369 

North Woburn. 


8 49 

809 869 

7.80 

70 

103 803 

189 073 

Providence & Taunton. 


8 50 

673 714 

14.92 

36 

45 149 

99 983 

Quincy & Boston. 


8 51 

2 712 342 

30.06 

64 

90 240 

564 141 

Reading & Lowell. 


8 52 

332 530 

11.84 

93 

28 085 

146 373 

Rockland & Abington. 


8 53 

1 521 581 

17.22 

83 

88 336 

397 812 

Rockport. 


8 54 

567 164 

8.16 

69 

69 505 

146 377 

Southbridge & Sturbridge. 


855 

552 586 

7.75 

68 

71 320 

149 588 

South Middlesex (Natick). 


8 56 

1 134 670 

13.07 

63 

86 815 

269 181 

Taunton & Brockton. 


8 57 

919 244 

17.23 

76 

55 093 

249 362 

Wakefield & Stoneham. 


8 58 

1 129 681 

15.30 

58 

73 835 

374 431 

Warren, Brookfield & Spencer. 


8 59 

966 236 

19.22 

61 

50 275 

288 827 

Worcester & Blackstone Valley.... 


8 60 

281 043 

6.92 

82 

40 665 

110 098 

Worcester & Marlborough. 


8 61 

1 229 738 

17.36 

65 

70 837 

342 877 

Worcester & Suburban. 


8 62 

3 275 611 

21.91 

68 

149 483 

714 529 

Totals and averages. 

43 

91 288 034 

864.63 

64 

105 567 

22 037 982 


(c) Totals and Averages of Table No. 3. 


Maine. 

(d) 7 

6 407 912 

87.48 

74 

73 249 

1 743 970 

Connecticut. 

(d)12 

14 143 909 

154.34 

67 

91 641 

3 901 011 

Massachusetts. 

(d)43 

91 288 034 

864.63 

64 

105 567 

22 037 982 

Totals and averages. 

(d)62 

111 839 855 

1106.45 

65 

101 079 

27 682 963 


(c) Railways in Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont are not treated in this 
table. 


It should be remembered that the figures at the foot of page 875 
are not exact, nor would it be fair to multiply by the number of miles 
of track equipped. 

It is evident that, whether a new line be built under the same condi¬ 
tions of existing steam railroads, or an old system be changed over, the 
first cost will be against electric motive power; and to overcome this 
disadvantage the operating expenses must be reduced sufficiently to 
more than take care of the interest on this additional cost; or else the 
change must create an increased traffic which justifies it. 

'Wellington* gives a table showing the distribution of first cost of 
the New York Central and Hudson Biver Railroad in 1885, from which 
Table No. 2 has been calculated. 

* “ Economic Theory of Railway Location,” p. 71. 







































































Discussion on electricity ys. steam for railroads. 415 


Interurban Railways (R. R. Com. Report). 


Mr. Davis. 


Passenger Earnings. 

No. of passengers carried 
per car-mile operated. 

Percentage of dividends 

paid; year ending June 

30th. 1898. 

Permanent investment per 

mile of single track owned; 

year ending June 30th, 1898. 

Capital stock and debts per 

mile of single track owned; 

year ending June 30th, 1898. 

Total operating expenses per 

car-mile operated (cents). 

Per mile of single track 
operated. 

Per car-mile operated 
(cents). 

Per passenger per trip 
(cents). 

Total per annum from 
passengers; year end¬ 
ing June 30th, 1898. 

$4 103 

17.91 

5.00 

$83 283 

3.58 


$20 096 

$19 351 

10.73 

5 044 

21.53 

5.09 

55 070 

4.22 

"o.o 

11 463 

10 580 

18.21 

3 259 

18.71 

5.26 

56 982 

3.56 


29 847 

31 166 

17.16 

6 069 

20.58 

5.24 

91 465 

3.92 

8.'6 

33 830 

32 239 

13.83 

4 729 

14.32 

5.95 

54 322 

2.40 

5.0 

40 179 

39 545 

10.20 

5 437 

19.09 

4.97 

35 351 

3.88 


26 919 

19 487 

13.81 

9 079 

23.44 

5.04 

98 998 

4.65 

'Y.O 

25 322 

24 939 

18.05 

5 391 

18.94 

5.09 

89 466 

3.71 

8.0 

22 965 

21 778 

11.82 

5 234 

21.60 

5.04 

40 690 

4.28 

.... 

26 302 

27 622 

15.13 

2 382 

35.56 

5.28 

35 456 

6.73 


30 302 

28 821 

12.86 

4 515 

24.06 

5.00 

128 857 

4.80 

JL5 

22 225 

20 806 

15.53 

1 413 

11.44 

5.03 

16 588 

2.27 


13 074 

13 685 

10.63 

4 521 

19.58 

5.12 

75 315 

3.80 

*6.6 

16 103 

15 937 

16.37 

3 484 

19.42 

5.01 

28 358 

3.87 

6.0 

16 888 

15 602 

13.52 

3 595 

18.63 

5.04 

27 177 

3.02 

5.0 

16 116 

15 842 

12.74 

4 370 

21.22 

5.03 

56 517 

4.21 

6.0 

19 797 

19 189 

13.39 

2 824 

19.51 

5.13 

48 510 

3.80 

6.0 

16 323 

16 149 

14.78 

4 056 

16.58 

5.49 

61 838 

3.01 

5.0 

25 291 

25 163 

9.59 

2 510 

16.17 

4.99 

48 041 

- 3.34 


17 662 

17 204 

10.23 

2 033 

12.78 

5.00 

14 070 

2.55 


12 867 

12 671 

10.44 

3 780 

19.14 

5.34 

64 787 

3.58 

*6‘.0 

26 690 

25 453 

12.48 

7 044 

21.60 

4.71 

152 402 

4.58 

4.0 

37 364 

38 688 

14.63 

$5 437 

21.33 

5.15 

$4702191 

4.14 

.... 

$30 131 

$30 507 

13.74 


Electric Suburban and Interurban Railways. 


$3 680 

4 736 

5 437 

18.46 

16.17 

21.33 

5.02 

5.16 

5.15 

$322 001 
731 025 

4 702 191 

3.10 

4.U 

.... 

$28 839 1 

49 553 

30 131 

$25 409 

50 229 

30 507 

13.71 

12.53 

13.74 

$5 201 

20.79 

5.14 

$5 755 217 

4.04 


$32 738 

$32 855 

13.20 


(i d ) No. of roads taken in each State. 

From Table No. 3 we find that the average cost per mile of single 


track of 62 suburban and interurban electric railways in New Eng¬ 
land is $32 738, while the highest is $58 851, and the lowest $11 463. 
Obviously, it would be unfair to compare the steam railroad chosen 
with the foregoing average, as the former must exceed the average of 
its own class by over 25 per cent. Adding this percentage to the fore¬ 
going average gives approximately $41 000 per mile of single track as 
a fair comparative cost for an electric interurban railway with the same 
standard of construction and equipment as the New York Central and 
Hudson River Railroad. The construction account of such railways 
is about 50% of the whole; the equipment 30% (including power sta¬ 
tions); and lands, buildings and other permanent investment about 
20 per cent. From the foregoing, Table No. 8 has been computed. 














































416 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS 


Mr. Davis. 


TABLE No. 4. —Electric City 


Name of Railway. 


Maine (13 roads). 

Bangor St. Ry. 

Bath St. Ry. 

Calais St. Ry. 

Portland Railroad. 


Totals and averages. 

Connecticut (31 roads). 

Bridgeport Traction. 

Hartford Street Ry. 

Middletown St. Ry. 

New Haven St. Ry. 

New London St. Ry. 

Stamford St. Ry. 

Winchester Ave. (New Haven) 
Waterbury Traction. 


. Totals and averages. 

Massachusetts (103 roads). 

Boston Elevated. 

Braintree. 

Brockton . 

Commonwealth Ave. (Newton).. 

F ramingham U nion. 

Gardner Electric. 

Globe (Fall River). 

Gloucester. 

Holyoke. 

Pittsfield Electric. 

Plymouth & Kingston . 

Springfield. 

Taunton. 

Union (New Bedford). 

Wellesley & Boston. 

West Roxbury & Roslindale. 

Worcester Consolidated. 

Woronoco . 


Totals and averages. 


Totals and averages (omitting C 13) 

New Hampshire (5 roads). 

Union St. Ry. 

Nashua St. Ry. . . . . . . . . 

Concord St. Ry. 

Manchester St. Ry. ..!!!!!!!! 

Laconia* St. Ry. 


Totals and averages 



L 1T£ 
c3 £ S 

jg-rs 
’tit) 3) 

uS 

HAW 

cS ° © 

© 

>> 

ft 


'm 53 
^ 

O <D 

e of op 

xpenses 

rnings. 

gers c 

mile 

3k op 

o S 

w § 

isg 

O 

a 3 • 

© t-i p dOO 

ft ft 

9 , c3 

® U 1-, 

1; 

6 

ft 

otal pass 

ried pe 

year en 

30th, 189 

Z* oft 

OJO© cS 
cS © 

a 

© a o 

la" 

ft £ • 

!h 0) 

_. 'D 

o c8 

<n 

3 £ s 

& 03 bo 

3.8.S-2 

hH 

ft 

ft 

ft 

ft 

ft 

C 1 

1 523 837 

9.70 

82 

157 096 

326 197 

C 2 

451 907 

4.25 

66 

106 331 

103 395 

C 3 

485 613 

7.00 

79 

69 373 

183 960 

C 4 

5 444 897 

30.95 

68 

175 925 

1 155 854 

4 

7 906 254 

51.90 

72 

152 336 

1 769 406 

C 5 

4 108 260 

52.60 

51 

78 107 

1 454 638 

C 6 

8 886 229 

56.64 

69 

156 889 

2 228 932 

C 7 

401 948 

7.30 

73 

55 0(51 

102 801 

C 8 

3 093 458 

26.80 

60 

115 427 

883 731 

C 9 

666 844 

6.96 

74 

95 810 

137 841 

CIO 

618 845 

11.05 

97 

56 004 

226 263 

Cll 

4 381 462 

17.54 

61 

249 798 

764 801 

C12 

2 515 116 

12.18 

58 

206 495 

435 431 

8 

24 672 162 

191.07 

63 

129 131 

6 234 438 

C13 

181 321 295 

278.35 

71 

651 410 

32 209 150 

C14 

944*064 

14.26 

80 

66 204 

267 364 

C 15 

6 787 425 

43.37 

63 

156 511 

1 463 110 

C16 

1 447 822 

12.73 

92 

113 724 

478 017 

C17 

636 673 

6.36 

60 

100 137 

111 966 

C18 

341 038 

4.34 

82 

76 569 

77 126 

C19 

6 627 700 

29.09 

62 

227 842 

1 280 612 

C20 

1 369 961 

11.25 

67 

121 774 

283 601 

C21 

4 233 900 

30.56 

67 

138 535 

1 107 962 

C22 

1 318 035 

10.10 

65 

130 537 

260 900 

C23 

691 048 

8.75 

67 

78 977 

181 650 

C24 

11 611 232 

61.60 

74 

188 479 

3 133 475 

C25 

1 269 804 

17.13 

54 

74 115 

383 711 

C26 

3 776 878 

19.96 

64 

189 222 

799 738 

C27 

709 887 

4.66 

67 

152 336 

220 980 

C28 

1 460 920 

10.26 

66 

142 307 

323 023 

C 29 

10 637 221 

41.81 

73 

254 388 

2 121 402 

C30 

485 636 

7.08 

92 

68 554 

257 497 

18 

235 670 539 

611.66 

72 

385 296 

44 961 284 

17 

54 349 244 

333.31 

71 

163 059 

12 752 134 

C31 

592 567 

7.50 

96 

79 008 

178 740 

C32 

954 333 

14.46 

80 

65 928 

400 353 

C33 

971 160 

12.50 

92 

77 692 

300 000 (a) 

C'44 

3 290 386 

17.02 

68 

201 124 

762 635 

C 35 

229 171 

3.63 

75 

68 043 

59 665 

5 

6 037 617 

55.11 

77 

109 555 

1 701 393 


(b) Totals and Averages of Table No. 4 


Maine. 

(c) 4 
(c) 8 
(o)17 
(c) 5 

7 906 254 
24 672 162 
54 349 244 
6 037 617 

51.90 

191.07 

333.31 

55.11 

72 

63 

71 

77 _ 

152 336 
129 131 
163 059 
109 555 

1 769 406 

6 234 438 

12 752 134 

1 701 393 

Connecticut. 

Massachusetts. 

New Hampshire. 

Totals aod averages.. 

(c)34 

92 965 277 

631.39 

69 

147 237 

22 457 371 


(c) No. of roads taken in each State. 



















































































































DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM EOR RAILROADS. 417 


Railways (R. R. Com. Repoets). Mr. Davis. 



Passenger 

Earnings. 


m <x> 

, i 

•g'd 
> a 

72 OT3 £ 

•d'y at® 
a °V ) a 

m3 

c 

i 

H 


m ^ 

S i T"! 

00 

8 4 

^ 1*00 

<u 5s 
S'-s 

<e § 3 

V g /-i. 

7 V) 

Per mile of si 
gle track ope 
ated. 

Per car-mile o 
era ted (cents 

Per passengi 
per trip (cents 

Total per annu 
from passe 
gers ; year en 
ing June 30.181 

No. of pass< 
carried per ca 
operated. 

Percentage of 

dends paid; ye; 

ing June 30, 18 

Permanent i 

ment per m 

single track o 

year ending 

30, 1898. 

Capital stock 

debts per m 

single track o 

year ending 

30. 1898. 

Total operatin 

penses per ca 

operated (cen 

$6 

731 

20.00 

4.28 

$61 

932 

4.67 


$58 

864 

$46 

974 

16.60 

5 

063 

20.56 

4.70 

21 

190 

4.37 

2.5 

40 

592 

40 

976 

13.66 

3 

221 

12.63 

4.78 

22 

964 

2.64 


28 

571 

30 

097 

10.06 

9 

761 

26.13 

5.54 

300 

237 

4.71 

6.0 

34 

712 

34 

263 

17.95 

$7 

825 

22.97 

5.15 

$406 

323 

4.46 

.... 

& 

CO 

Ol 

441 

$34 

016 

16.63 

4 

581 

16.56 

5.86 

241 

007 

2.82 


73 

998 

74 

349 

8.56 

7 

734 

19.65 

4.92 

438 

069 

3.99 

3.5 

46 

913 

41 

569 

13.60 

2 

520 

17.90 

4.57 

18 

402 

3.91 


32 

420 

35 

943 

13.18 

5 

401 

16.38 

4.67 

144 

755 

3.50 


70 

898 

65 

992 

9.93 

4 

454 

. 22.49 

4.64 

31 

003 

4.84 

5.0 

54 

963 

52 

986 

16.83 

2 

726 

13.31 

4.86 

30 

122 

2.74 


27 

841 

27 

899 

12.95 

9 

388 

21.53 

3.76 

164 

666 

5.73 

8.ie 

57 

452 

40 

766 

13.30 

9 

fri4 

26.98 

4.67 

117 

469 

5.78 

3.0 

75 

016 

87 

857 

15.59 

$6 

204 

19.01 

4.80 

$1 185 

493 

3.95 

.... 

$59 

129 

$62 

517 

12.04 

32 

976 

28.50 

5.06 

8 967 

587 

5.62 

2.25 

98 

600 

103 

655 

20.39 

3 

163 

16.87 

4.78 

44 

635 

3.53 

4.0 

13 

115 

13 

193 

13.46 

7 

749 

22.97 

4.95 

330 

559 

4.63 

6.0 

34 

997 

34 

326 

14.52 

5 

783 

15.40 

5.08 

71 

331 

3.02 


29 

068 

29 

145 

14.27 

4 

785 

27.17 

4.78 

29 

954 

5.68 


22 

523 

21 

962 

16.48 

3 

940 

22.18 

5.01 

17 

020 

4.42 


17 

533 

18 

403 

18.32 

10 

943 

24.86 

4.80 

301 

238 

5.17 


75 

447 

74 

886 

15 57 

6 

272 

24.88 

5.15 

68 

498 

4.83 

6.0 

33 

377 

31 

211 

16.71 

7 

496 

20.68 

5.41 

227 

165 

3.82 

8.0 

29 

964 

27 

950 

13.95 

0 

543 

25.32 

5.01 

65 

845 

5.05 

6.0 

13 

663 

12 

451 

16.45 

4 

209 

20.28 

5.01 

34 

106 

3.25 

6.0 

18 

865 

18 

577 

13.62 

9 

464 

18.60 

5.02 

577 

800 

3.70 

8.0 

35 

591 

31 

362 

13.73 

4 

112 

18.36 

5.55 

63 

490 

3.30 


54 

556 

55 

073 

9.96 

10 

327 

25.78 

5.45 

187 

728 

4.72 

6.0 

47 

899 

45 

415 

16.50 

8 

449 

17.82 

5.55 

37 

609 

3.21 

8.0 

24 

759 

23 

895 

11.93 

6 

568 

20.87 

4.62 

67 

188 

4.52 

3.5 

35 

877 

36 

846 

13.70 

12 

863 

25.35 

5.06 

530 

259 

5.01 

8.0 

47 

803 

44 

675 

18.58 

3 

243 

8.92 

4.73 

22 

933 

1.88 

2.5 

16 

273 

16 

967 

18.17 

$19 

038 

25.89 

4.94 

$11644 

945 

5.24 

.... 

$63 

794 

$61 

928 

18.84 

GO 

002 

20.99 

4.92 

$2 677 

358 

4.26 

.... 

CO 

854 

$34 

379 

14.93 

4 

064 

17.05 

5.14 

30 

485 

3.31 




33 

333 

16.43 

3 

709 

13.39 

5.62 

53 

640 

2.38 


27 

181 

27 

662 

10.75 

3 

969 

16.54 

5.10 

49 

626 

3.24 

6.0 



17 

480 

15.35 

8 

182 

18.26 

4.23 

139 

266 

4.31 

10.0 

18 

192 

20 

564 

11.96 

3 

439 

20.92 

5.44 

12 

483 

3.85 

.... 



13 

774 

15.83 

$5 

180 

16.77 

4.73 

$285 

500 

3.55 

.... 

$22 

321 ± 

$24 

832 

12.89 


Electric City Railways (G13 omitted). 


$7 825 

22.97 

5.15 

$406 323 

4.46 


$35 441 

$34 016 

16.63 

6 204 

19.01 

4.80 

1 185 493 

3.95 


59 129 

62 517 

12.04 

8 002 

20.99 

4.92 

2 677 358 

4.26 


37 854 

34 379 

14.93 

5 180 

16.77 

4.73 

285 500 

3.55 

.... 

22 321 

24 832 

12.89 

$7 213 

20.28 

4.89 

$4 554 674 

4.13 

.... 

$42 579 

$42 031 

14 .11 


( b) Railways in Rhode Island and Vermont are not treated in this table. 




























































































418 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. 


TABLE No. 5. — Add Edecteic Kaidways 



No. of roads in each 

State. 

Total passengers car¬ 

ried per annum; 
year ending June 

30th, 1898. 

Total length of sin¬ 

gle track operated. 
(Miles.) 

Percentage of oper¬ 

ating expenses to 
gross earnings. 

Total passengers car- 1 

ried per mile of sin¬ 

gle track operated. 

Maine . 

19 

14 651 165 

182.80 

71 

79 054 

Connecticut. 

31 

39 272 306 

387.01 

65 

101 478 

Massachusetts. 

103 

330 889 629 

1 590.95 

69 

207 982 

Rhode Island. 

9 

39 979 695 

154.88 

60 

258 133 

New Hampshire (1896). 

5 

6 037 617 

51.11 

77 

109 555 

Vermont, (1896) . 

5 

1 637 262 

27.14 









Totals and averages. 

172 

432 467 674 

2 393.89 

67 

182 726 


TABLE No. 6 . —Totads and Avekages of Tabde No. 3, Edecteic 

Edecteic City Rall- 


Maine. 

til 

+20 

+60 

14 314 166 
38 816 071 
145 637 278 

139.381 73 

102 698 
112 376 
121 573 

Connecticut. 

345.41 
1 197.94 

64 

66 

77 

Massachusetts. 

Rhode Island. 

New Hampshire. 

+5 

6 037 617 

55. ii 

109 555 

Vermont. 






Totals and averages. 

+96 

204 805 132 

1 737.84 

67 

117 890 


TABLE No. 7. —Totads and 


Table No. 3. —Electric Suburban and Interurban 
Railways (selected from total number in New 
England). 

+62 

111 839 855 

1 

1 106.45 

65 

101 079 

Table No. 4.*—Electric City Railways (selected 
from total number in New England). 

+34 

92 965 277 

631.39 

69 

147 237 

Table No. 5.—All Electric Railways in New Eng¬ 
land (total number in New England making 
reports to R. R. Corns.). 

+172 

432 467 674 

2 393 89 

67 

182 726 

Tabfe No. 6.*—Electric City, Suburban and Inter- 
urban Railways (selected from total number 
in New England). 

+96 

204 805 132 

1 737.84 

67 

117 890 




t No. of roads taken. 









































































DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 419 


IN New England (E. E. Com. Eeports). 


Mr. Davis. 


Total car-miles oper¬ 
ated per annum. 

Passenger Earnings. 

No. of passengers 

carried per car-mile 

operated. 

Percentage of divi¬ 

dends paid, year 
ending June 30,1898. 

Permanent invest¬ 

ment per mile of 
single track owned; 

year ending June 

30, 1898. 

Capital stock and 

debts per mile of 

single track owned; 

year ending June 

30, 1898. 

Total operating ex¬ 

penses per car-mile 
operated. (Cents.) 

Per mile of sin¬ 
gle track oper¬ 
ated. 

Per car-mile op¬ 
erated. (Cents.) 

Per passenger 
per trip.(Cents.) 

Total per an¬ 
num from pas¬ 
sengers; year 
ending June 30, 
1898. 

3 273 932 

4 720 

26.35 

5.89 

862 885 

4.47 


29 331 

32 263 

18.18 

10 323 464 

5 253 

19.45 

5.14 

2 018 986 

3.80 


51 177 

51 610 

12.71 

68 206 418 

10 632 

24.80 

5.11 

16 545 554 

4.85 


43 229 

44 958 

17.11 

* 

13 092 


5.07 

2 027 693 




75 698 


1 701 393 

5180 

16.77 

4 73 

285 500 

3.55 


22 321 

24 832 

12.89 








20 362 

30 033 











83 505 207 

9 186 

23.60 

5.04 

21 740 618 

4.68 


42 717 

46 453 

16.52 


Suburban and Interubban Electric Eailways, plus Table No. 4, 
ways (C13 omitted). 


3 513 376 f 5 225 

20.73 

5.08 

728 324 

4.07 


31 297 

28 614 

15.14 

10 135 449 5 548 

18.91 

4.93 

1 916 518 

3.83 


54 850 

57 026 

12.23 

34 790 116 6 160 

21.21 

5.06 

7 379 549 

4.18 


32 196 

31 585 

14.18 

1 701 393 5 180 

16.77 

4.73 

285 500 

3.55 

. 

22 321 

24 832 

12.89 










50 140 334 5 932 

20.56 

5.03 

10 309 891 

4.08 


36 313 

36 189 

13.91 


Averages, Tables Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6. 


27 682 963 

5 201 

20.79 

5.14 

5 755 217 

4.04 


32 738 

32 855 

13.20 

22 457 371 

7 213 

20.28 

4.89 

4 554 674 

4.13 


42 579 

42 031 

14.11 

83 505 207 

9 186 

23.60 

5.04 

21 740 618 

4.68 


42 717 

46 453 

16.52 

50 140 334 

5 932 

20.56 

5.03 

10 309 891 

4.08 


36 313 

36 189 

13.91 


* C 13 omitted. 
































































































Mr. Davis. 


420 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 

TABLE No. 8. 


Item. 

N.Y. C.&H. R. 

R. R. 

Electric Railway 
(Approximate). 


Cost 
per mile 
of single 
track. 

Per¬ 

centage. 

Cost 
per mile 
of single 
track. 

Per¬ 

centage. 

1 Grading and masonry. 

$7 749 

1 066 

11 439 
554 

18.9 

2.6 

27.9 
1.35 

$2 050 
410 

9 020 
410 
410 

2 460 

5 740 

5.0 

1.0 

22.0 

1.0 

1.0 

6.0 

14.0 

2 Rrirlges, etc. . 

3 Superstructure. 

9«. Engineering (?) ... 

4 Rail bonding . 

R Overhead electric line. 



C! Paving . 



Total construction. 



20 808 

5 453 

5 576 

50.75 

13.3 

13.6 

20 500 

50.0 

4 Stations, etc 

5 Land and land damages .. 



Total land and buildings. 



11 029 

2 337 
574 

5 576 
553 
123 

26.9 

5.7 

1.4 

13.6 

1.35 

0.3 

8 200 

). 

20.0 

fi T.oo.omotives . 

7. Passenger cars. 

j* 8 200 

20.0 

8 Freight cars . 

9 h Engineering YA) . 


. 

10 Floating equipment 

J . 

D Electric feeder line and ground return. 

4 100 

4 100 

10.0 

10.0 

E. Central power plants. 






Total equipment. 

9 163 

22.35 

12 300 

30.0 



From Table No. 8, we see that items A, B, 7, D and E constitute 
those which would be an increase in the cost of a new electric line 
under steam-railroad conditions, or to change an existing steam rail¬ 
road; all other items have already been shown to be the same, 
although varying, as the table shows, in the case of a street railway. 
We therefore get an approximate general figure of $20 000 per mile of 
single track as the increased cost of the electric railroad. This figure 
should be treated with caution in any individual case, for it might be 
less or even exceeded by more than 100% under some circumstances, 
although it is approximately accurate as an average. 

In either a new or an old line there is a limiting factor which 
sometimes precludes the possibility of using electric traction—the 
transmission of electric power from the station to the motor. Some 
problems show at once that, owing to the long distance and infre¬ 
quent trains of great weight, electric transmission of power would be 
entirely too costly. Just where the line occurs is hard to define, as 
it depends upon distance, amount of power, frequency of trains, and 
their weight. A few years ago it was considered that about ten miles’ 1 
radius was the limit for one power house; this was before the days of 
“boosters” and multiphase currents. The development in multi¬ 
phase transmission has led many to believe that this would make it 










































































DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 421 


possible to successfully operate trunk railroad lines by electric Mr. Davis, 
motors. The basis for this is the reduction of line cost by the use of 
high potentials and the utilization of cheap sources of power such as 
waterfalls; but it must be remembered that the problem is not solely 
a question of the original cost of power, but rather the concentration 
of power and its long-distance transmission coupled with a cheap 
source, versus operation by small isolated units—steam locomotives. 

In the operation of railways, whether electric or steam lines, one 
requisite is that the speed of trains must be controlled by the opera¬ 
tor; the variations of speed must be numerous, and the change from 
one to another must be sufficiently smooth to cause no discomfort to 
the passengers or excessive strain on any of the apparatus. The elec¬ 
tric railway motor operating by direct current has long been used for 
this work with satisfactory results, and in its latest forms is sufficient 
and serviceable, under the rough usage to which it must necessarily be 
subjected. 

With alternating-current motors the regulation of speed is more 
difficult. Until the recent development in “induction” motors, the 
so-called “ synchronous ” motor was the only type worthy of practical 
consideration. This type derived its name from the fact that of neces¬ 
sity it ran at the same speed as the generator which supplied it with 
current. Obviously, therefore, the speed could not be varied. 

Besides this, the “synchronous” motor would not start by itself 
under load. Hence it was unsuited for operating railway cars. The 
other form of alternating motor—the “induction ” motor—is capable 
of speed-regulation to a limited extent, and is continually being 
improved, so that the future may see developments and improvements 
beyond our most sanguine expectations. Alternating-current “ induc¬ 
tion ” motors have certain characteristics which would be of great 
advantage in railway work. The most important of these is the 
absence of the commutator. In other words, there is no electrical 
connection between the stationary parts of the “induction” motor 
and the armature or rotating part, and therefore, there is no exposed 
metal carrying current, and no sparking due to the use of brushes. 

The use of multiphase currents has the following advantages: 

(1) They allow some control of the speed of motors. 

(2) They provide for starting motors when loaded, but not 

when over-loaded to the same extent as direct-current 
motors. 

(3) They facilitate insulation. 

(4) They overcome some of the effects of induction. 

(5) They reduce the cost of conductors. 

In short, the “induction” motor, like the “synchronous” motor, 
presents the difficulties of starting under loads as well as speed- 
control. The two-phase and three-phase “induction” motors have 


422 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis, overcome these difficulties to a certain extent, and they offer some 
improvements over direct-current motors. 

(1) They require less attention. 

(2) They give less trouble from dirt, dust or water. 

(3) They have no commutator. 

(4) They have no moving electrical contacts (except in special 

cases). 

(5) There is less danger of burning out armatures. 

(6) They require renewal of parts less frequently. 

The disadvantages in their use can be summarized thus: 

(1) They do not start readily with over-loads. 

(2) Their speed cannot be controlled readily. 

(3) Their efficiency is lower. 

At present the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, in so far as 
the conditions of railway work are concerned. 

It seems, therefore, that the direct application of alternating- 
current motors to railroad systems is not feasible to-day from a 
practical standpoint; mainly for the reason that they do not start 
under heavy over-loads and are not easily varied in speed over 
wide ranges. 

Irrespective of the motors, however, the alternating current can be 
used indirectly in operating railway lines. The method, in brief, is 
to carry the alternating current from the power station to a point in 
close proximity to a section of the track. Here the current is changed 
from alternating to direct by means of the so-called rotary transformer, 
and then applied as direct current to the cars using direct-current 
motors with the usual devices for controlling the speed. This 
method of using the alternating current introduces an extra trans¬ 
formation with its concomitant loss, and its use is confined to cases 
where it is desired to transmit power from a distance. Alternating 
currents are better adapted than direct currents for transmitting 
power over long distances, because, with the use of the latter, we are 
now limited to comparatively low pressures, either in the generating 
plant (1 000 to 3 000 volts) or the motors (500 to 1 000 volts); while 
with the former we can “ convert,” and thus utilize, between the 
generator and the motor, higher pressures than would be safe at either 
end. In transmitting currents of electricity over long or short 
distances, there is a necessary loss in transmission, due to the power 
required to force the current through the wires. This loss is present 
in all circuits carrying a current of electricity in greater or less 
amount, depending upon the volume (amperes) of current (squared), 
and the quality, size and length of the wire. In cases where large 
currents are to be carried long distances, the loss is so increased that 
it requires special consideration. The principle involved in all long- 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 423 


distance transmission lines is to increase the pressure (voltage) to as Mr. Davis, 
high a point as practicable. This is done because the same amount 
of power can thereby be transmitted, at a correspondingly reduced 
current requiring a smaller wire, at the same or less loss, since the 
power is represented by the product of the current and the pressure. 

Hence, by reducing the current, the energy lost in the line is reduced 
in proportion to the square of the current. By thus increasing the 
pressure and reducing the current, the original investment in the 
transmission line can be kept within reason, and the interest account 
reduced, as well as the loss of energy in the line. 

The limit to which this process of reducing the loss in transmission 
can be carried depends upon our ability to insulate wires carrying 
high pressures. There is no difficulty in using an alternating current 
running at a potential of 1 000 to 2 000 volts; for these pressures are 
common in the outside mains of lighting companies supplying alter¬ 
nating current for incandescent lighting in cities and towns. For 
long-distance transmission, however, the pressure must be raised to 
at least 10 000. This is now done successfully in a number of cases. 

The Niagara Falls transmission line is operated at 11 000 volts, and it 
is the intention to increase this to 22 000 volts, if it has not already 
been done; while there are installations on the Pacific Coast where 
higher potentials are used. How soon higher pressures than those 
now used will become commercially practicable remains to be demon¬ 
strated by the development in the use of present electrical insulating 
materials, or the discovery of new. In order to obtain high pressures, 
an intermediate step is required between the generator and the line, 
known as the “ step-up ” transformer, and another at the other end of 
the lines, known as the “step-down” transformer. Generators are 
built at present to deliver not much more than 2 500 volts, and usually 
run from 1 000 to 2 000 volts. The “ step-up ” transformers take this 
voltage and raise it, for transmission, to 10 000 or 20 000 volts. At 
the other end of the line the voltage is reduced to the desired amount, 
in a similar manner, by a “step-down” transformer and then applied 
to the distributing lines, or to the rotary transformer, or to both, as 
the case may require. High insulation is therefore required from the 
“step-up” transformer along the transmission line to the “step- 
down” transformer. The required insulation is secured by special 
construction in the transformers, which are also filled with oil, and by 
insulators of special design attached to cross-arms and poles adapted 
for the purpose. 

We therefore see: 

(1) That the alternating-current motor of to-day cannot be applied 
directly to operating railroad trains, either on the axles of the cars, 
or at the head of the train as a locomotive, because of the difficulties in 
starting under load and in controlling the necessary variations in speed. 


424 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 

Mr. Davis. (2) That the alternating current can be applied indirectly to 
operating railways, because of the facility with which w r e can trans¬ 
form it to high potentials for long-distance transmission. 

Whether it will pay to utilize a <s cheap source ” such as a water¬ 
fall, or concentrate the power into one station on the line of railroad, 
is, again, the question of balancing the interest account on the added 
investment for long-distance transmission lines, etc., by reduced 
operating expenses or increased receipts. 

The reduction of first cost to a minimum consistent with work best 
suited for the puriiose is of great importance in the construction of 
any line. No increase is justifiable, unless it will prove a profitable 
investment in itself; no decrease, however, is justifiable if the larger 
expenditure promises larger profit. Where expenditures can be 
decreased, without materially lessening immediate traffic or adding to 
operating expenses, such decrease should be made. The importance 
of this is seen when we remember that the fixed charges (interest on 
bonds and rentals) are really a part of the cost of manufacturing 
transportation—to borrow an expression from an eminent authority; 
they are, in fact, one of the largest items in the total cost of running 
a railway system; they increase in a somewhat faster ratio than the 
cost of the line, and are the same every year, whether business is good 
or bad; and we therefore emphasize the importance of reducing the 
first cost to the lowest amount consistent with true economy, and of 
increasing the traffic to its maximum, so that the fixed charges may 
be a smaller percentage of the gross receipts. It must be remembered, 
however, that the gross receipts are often enormously increased by 
extraordinary expenditures, in which case large investments may be 
warranted, such as terminals at or near large centers of population, 
shortening of line for moral effect and saving of time in competition, 
adopting new methods as an inducement to increased use, etc. An 
idea of the weight which should be given to this part of the subject 
will be had by the comparison in Table No. 9. 

TABLE No. 9. 



Steam Railroads (U. S.) 

Massachusetts 
Electric Railways. 

Average. 

High. 

Low. 

Average. 

Percentage of operating expenses... 

65 

70 

55 

69 

Percentage of net receipts. 

35 

45 

30 

31 

Percentage of fixed'charges... 

25 

45 

14 

15 

Percentage of profit.. 

10 

16 

4 

16 


By examining Table No. 9, which is not supposed to show highest 
and lowest figures, but averages under ordinary conditions, we seethe 























DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 425 


importance of the item of fixed charges, and the importance, there- Mr. Davis, 
fore, of reducing the first cost. 

The importance of a reduction in. first cost, consistent with true 
economy, is also clearly brought out by: 

Fig. 2. Curve 6.—Showing rapid increase in capitalization per 
mile of track of railways (40% of which is bonded indebt¬ 
edness, approximately). 

Fig. 8. Curve 2-6.—Showing predicted increase in Curve 6 of 
Fig. 2. 

Fig. 3. Curve 4.—Showing greater increase in bonded debt 
as compared with increase of mileage of railroads. 

Fig. 9. Curve 3-4.—Showing predicted increase in Curve 4 of 
Fig. 3. 

Table No. 10. Capitalization of Steam Railroads and Street 
Railways.—Curve 4. Total Bonded Debt 332% increase 
1870-1890, as against 213% increase in mileage of the 
U. S.; and 240% increase in New York, New Jersey, 
Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, against 84% 
increase in mileage; and 437% increase in Massachusetts 
against 205% increase of mileage. The increase of 500% 
in bonded debt of street railways of Massachusetts in the 
same period, against 544% increase of mileage, does not 
disprove the statement, for this apparent decrease is 
due to the phenomenal growth of street-railway mileage. 

2. Total Expenses. 

As first cost is against electric traction we must look to reduced 
operating expenses or increased receipts as justification for its use. 

Let us examine the former. Again refer to our tabulated divisions of 
“ total expenses,” etc. 

We have adopted the title “ total expenses ” in a literal sense, 
including all expenses of every kind, so that the difference between 
4 ‘total expenses ” and “gross receipts,” if on the right side, would 
give the amount which can be considered the actual net earnings of 
the line. “Operating expenses,” which are generally treated as the 
usual and ordinary expenses of the system, include “maintenance and 
renewal of way and w r orks,” “train expenses,” “station, terminal, 
taxes and general expenses,” and “ accidents, loss and damages,” but 
not “fixed charges,” although the latter form a large percentage of 
the actual total expenses, and have become a necessity in our indus¬ 
trial and financial development. The operating expenses include many 
items which do not vary with the amount of business or the character 
of the alignment—such as salaries of leading officials; maintenance of 
way, works and parts of the system, against that deterioration which 




Heavy type indicates that the percentage of increase or decrease has not followed the characteristic sign of the curve. 


426 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS 



Mr. Davis. 








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* 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 427 


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428 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


. Davis, is produced by time only, irrespective of the amount of business 
handled or work done; salaries of agents of all kinds, many of whom 
have to be employed whether business is large or small, etc. All of 
these might be called the “fixed operating expenses,” and, as they 
often amount to nearly half of the total operating expenses, it will 
prove instructive and remunerative to keep railroad accounts so as to 
show thiA To reduce the total expenses to the minimum consistent 
with true economy is as important as to reduce the first cost to the 
lowest amount, bearing the same axiom in mind. 

We have two cases to consider and compare with steam-railroad 
operation: First, central steam-power plants located along the 
proposed line; second, water-power located at some distance from 
the line. The following applies to both cases, unless otherwise indi¬ 
cated: 

“ Repairs of earthwork to subgrade” would be unaffected by the 
.system used. Repairs of track, fehces, cattle-guards, crossings, etc., 
renewals of ties and ballast, are substantially independent of the 
volume of traffic; ties wear independently of the tonnage, for the so- 
called “cutting” of ties is due primarily to the rotting away under the 
rail foot, accelerated somewhat, but almost inappreciably, by the 
decayed material cut away by passing loads. The total cost of track 
labor is affected only by a very small percentage of the whole by any 
change in the amount of traffic, provided the standard of maintenance 
is not increased; rail-renewals, track-watchman, and part of the labor 
of lining, surfacing, etc., directly applicable to the track itself, are the 
only items which vary directly with the number of trains. One-half to 
three-fourths of the wear of steel rails is caused by the locomotive, and 
is due more to the great concentration of load on the driving wheels, 
which often nearly approaches the ultimate crushing resistance of the 
rail, than to the “hammer-blow” of the reciprocating parts. Main¬ 
tenance of crossings would be unaffected by the system used. For the 
reasons enumerated above, items 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9 would be unaffected 
in cost of maintenance, whichever system were used. While some 
might claim that the renewal of rails would be less frequent on an 
electric system, it must be remembered that an electric locomotive or 
a motor car at the head of a train must have concentrated on the wheels 
the same weight for the same speeds and loads, the only advantage 
being the removal of the hammer-blow of reciprocating parts. Should 
motors be placed on every axle, there would be a saving. In steam- 
railroad practice this item amounts to about 4% of the total cost per 
train-mile (see Table No. 11), so that, should there be a saving of 25%, 
it would equal about 1% of the total cost per train-mile. 

Maintenance of bridges and trestles should be slightly less with the 
use of electric motors, because of less vibratory effects; maintenance 
of masonry, buildings and signals would not vary in cost with change 


DISCUSSION' ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 429 

of system. We find under “ maintenance and renewal of way and Mr. Davis, 
works,” that there are no items exclusively applicable to steam-loco¬ 
motive practice; but there are six which apply to electric traction only. 

This arises naturally from the fact that these items occur under “first 
cost, ” and must be maintained. They are: maintenance of—(4) ground- 
return circuit, (5) overhead-trolley line or third rail, (6) electric feeder 
lines; and renewals to—(10) poles or insulation of third rail, (11) trolley 
or third rail and ground return, and (12) feeders. The maintenance and 
renewals of these constitute an increase in the total expenses of an 
electric road over those of a road operated by steam. 

The additional expense of these items, on the basis of all Massa¬ 
chusetts street railways, is shown in Table No. 11. This is, of course, 
not strictly accurate, as they do not operate under like conditions, but 
the figures are indicative, so that, with proper consideration of this 
difference, they can be used: 


( e ) 4. Repairs of ground-return circuit. 0.50 per cent. 

(e) 5. “ “ overhead trolley. 1.12 “ 

(e) 6. “ “ feeder lines.0.60 “ 

( e) 10. Renewal of poles for overhead trolley. 0.30 “ 

(e) 11. “ “ overhead trolley. 0 20 “ 

(e) 12. “ “ feeders. 0.05 “ 

Total. 2.77 


The probability is that these percentages are too low for the heavy 
powers and high speeds of an electric road operating under steam- 
railroad conditions. 

The next division is that of ( b ) “Train Expenses.” The relative 
consumption of coal by steam locoinotives and electric motor cars or 
locomotives, while of importance, is not so large a percentage of the 
operating expenses as is often imagined. As a rule, the attempt to 
save in fuel account has had more attention on electric roads than was 
warranted, and has been made at the sacrifice of other and more im¬ 
portant items. 

Omitting results obtained from compound locomotives, the records 
of which are not yet as extensive as those for single expansion, but 
which should show an average saving of approximately 20%, it has 
been found that in steam-locomotive practice, of the character we are 
discussing, the coal consumption per passenger-car-mile (exclusive of 
engine) averages about 6.5 lbs. for cars weighing 20-25 tons on way- 
trains, or 30-35 tons on through trains, and that about an average of 
1 lb. is added per car-mile for each 6 tons’ added weight of car. The 
average coal consumption of a passenger engine (say 40-45 tons) is 
about 20 lbs. per locomotive-mile. If we assume six cars to a train, as 
per our example, we have 3.3 lbs. per car-mile for the engine and 9.8 
lbs. per car-mile for the whole train, including engine. This conforms 
to present average practice of steam railroads. 









430 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. TABLE No. 11 —COMPARATIVE OPERATING EXPENSES OF STEAM 


Ordinary division of items in total 
expenses. 

All Massachusetts Street Railways (Rail¬ 
road Commission Reports, 18y9). 

Total expenditures. 

(In nearest $1 000.) 

Percentage of total 

operating expenses. 

Operating expenses 

per car-mile. 

(1) 

(a) Maintenance and Renewal of 
Way and Works: 

1. Repairs of earthwork to sub- 
grade . 

(») 

(3) 

Per cent. 

(4) 

Cents. 

2. Repairs of track. -} 

3. Repairs of fences, crossings, 

etc. 

$1 163 000 includes (1). (3), (4), 
(7), (8), (9), (13). 

[- 9.3 

1.6 

(e) 4. Repairs of ground-return cir¬ 
cuit . 




(e) 5. Repairsof electric line (third 1 
rail or overhead trolley).. ) 
(e) 6. Repairs of feeder lines. 

286 666 includes (6), (10), 
(11), (12), (15). 

J 2.3 

0.4 

7. Renewal of rails. 




8. “ ties. 




9. “ ballast 




(e) 10. “ third rail supports 

or poles for overhead trolley 
(e) 11. Renewal of third rail or over¬ 
head trolley. 







(e) 12. Renewal of feeders. 




13. Repairs of masonry, bridges, 
trestles, etc. 




14. Repaii's of buildings. 

15. “ signals. 

9i odd 

0.7 

0.1 

(e) 16. Removal of snow and ice. 

280 000 

2.2 

0.4 

Totals. 

(b) Train Expenses: 

(s) 1. Fuel for locomotives. 

si 820 000 

14.5 

2.5 

(e) 2. “ central power sta- ( 

tions.) 

3. Water supply. 

1 268 odd includes (3), (4), 
(14), (15). 

J- 10.2 

1.7 

4. Oil and waste. 




(s) 5. Repairs of locomotives and 
tenders. 




(e) 6. Repairs of electric motors (car 

equipment).. 

7. Repairs of passenger cars. 

is) 8. “ freight cars. 

439 000 

727 000 

3.4 

5.8 

0.6 

1.0 

(s) 9. Use of foreign passenger and 
freight cars. 




(s) 10. Locomotive services (wages). 
(e) 11. Motor car services (wages sim¬ 
ilar to 10 and 12 for steam 

railroads). 

(s) 12. Passenger train services 
(wages). 




4 893 000 includes (12). 

39.1 

7.0 

(s) 13. Freight train services (wages) 
(e) 14. Repairs of central power sta¬ 
tions. 







(e) 15. Central power station services 
(wages). 








Totals. 

$7 327 000 

58.5 

10.3 


t Estimated. 































































DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 431 

Railroads and Electric Railways, with Items in Detail. Mr. Davis. 


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0.6 

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0.1395 

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1.3950 

0.4650 


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0.30 

0.30+ 

0 . 20 + 

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0.70 

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5.40 

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5.80 


39.10 


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2.00 


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Increase. 


Per cent. 
Decrease. 


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( 10 ) 


Unaffected. 


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1.12 

0.60 


1.50 
Unaffected. 


0.30 

0.20 

0.05 


0.05 
Unaffected. 


2.77 


1.55 


2.60 

0.30 

0.50 


0.20 

Unaffected. 


Unaffected. 


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2.00 


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0.98 

0.14 

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0.475 

1.285 


6.46 


0.06 

0.33 


9.79 


X Includes paving. 













































































































432 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. TABLE No. 11 ( Concluded ). —Comparative Operating Expenses of 


Ordinary division of items in total 
expenses. 

All Massachusetts Street Railways (Rail¬ 
road Commission Reports, 1899). 

Total expenditures. 

(In nearest $1 000.) 

f v - 

. . l 

Percentage of total 

operating expenses. 

Operating expenses 

per car-mile. 

(1) 

(c) Station, Terminal, Taxes and 
General Expenses: 

1. Agents and station services 
(wages). 

m 

„ ( 3 ) 
Per cent. 

(A) 

Cents. 

2. Station supplies. 




8. Telegraph... 




4. Taxes. 

855 000 

625 000 includes (2), (8). 

119 000 

310 000 

6.8 

5.0 

0.9 

2.5 

1.1 

0.6 

0.1 

0.4 

0.2 

5. General officers and clerks_ 

6. Legal. 

7. Insurance. 

8. Stationery and printing. 

9. Agencies and advertising_ 



10. Contingent and miscellaneous, 
not included elsewhere). 

827 000 includes (1), (3), (9). 

6.6 

1.1 

Totals. . 

$2 736 000 

21.8 

3.5 

(d) Accidents, Loss and Damages: 

(s ) 1. To freight... 

2. passengers. 

645 000 includes (3), (4). 

5.2 

0.8 

3. “ property owned. 

4. “ “ not owned. 








Totals.. 

•1645 000 

523 000 

$1 384 000 

1 280 000 

5.2 

0.8 

Total 17.1 
cents per 
car-mile. 

(©) Interest Account (discounts and 
temporary loans). 

(f) Fixed Charges: 

1. Interest on bonded debt. 


2 . Rentals. 



Total. 

$2 664 000 

2 076 000 



(g) Dividends . 



































































DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 433 


Steam Railroads and Electric Railways, with Items in Detail. 


Mr. Davis. 


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6.5 


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2.08 

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1.91 


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1.0 


2.97 

1.49 

0.74 


6.80 

3.80 

0.90 

2.50 
0.30 
0.01 

6.50 
21 80 


5.09 

0.10 

0.01 


5.20 


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1.0 

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6.5 


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Decrease. 


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Unaffected. 


Unaffected. 


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Materially affected, es¬ 
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or more increase. 
Unaffected. 


Total percentage of 
increase 7.02% 
to 17.02%. 


0.19 


0.76 


0.95 


0.53 

Included in (2). 
Included in (2). 


0.53 


Total 11.95 cents 
per car-mile. 




















































































434 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. Table No. 12 shows the average amount of dry steam used per 
horse-power-hour by various types of stationary engines under dif¬ 
ferent conditions. It is compiled from a large number of actual 
tests. 


TABLE No. 12. —Steam Consumption in Pounds per Horse-Power- 

Hour. 


Type of engine. 

Steady Load. 

Variable Load 50 
to 125 Per Cent. 

Extreme Varia¬ 
tions—Railway 
Work, Etc., 0 to 
150 Per Cent. 

Non-con. 

Con. 

Non-con. 

Con. 

Non-con. 

Con. 

High-speed, simple. 

32 

28 

34 

30 

36 

31 

High-speed, compound. 

23 

18 

25 

21 

27 

2234 

Slow-speed, simple. 

25 

21 

28 

23 

3134 

2634 . 

Slow-speed, compound. 

20 

15 

2234 

18 

26 

23 

High-speed, triple expansion. 

17% 

13 

20 

16 



Slow-speed, triple expansion. 

141 

1234 

17 

15 




Tables Nos. 13, 14 and 15 show the coal consumption per car-mile 
on electric railways, and were compiled from information obtained in 
1894-95. Over 600 railways were communicated with, from which 58 
have been selected as giving the most accurate results. 

Table No. 13 gives the road by index number, the State where 
located, the car-miles, kind of boilers, engines and coal, the field from 
which coal was obtained, the long tons of coal used in the given fiscal 
year, and the pounds of coal consumed per car-mile. 

Table No. 14 gives the average, highest and lowest pounds of coal 
per car-mile, grouping the roads by territorial sub-divisions and 
kinds of coal, with the number from which the averages have been 
calculated. 

Table No. 15 gives the average, highest and lowest pounds of coal 
consumed per car-mile for different classes of engine plants, with the 
number of roads from which the averages have been calculated. 

While the ton-mile should properly be the basis, yet the difficulty 
of determining the number of ton-miles has led to the adoption of the 
car-mile as the best practical unit of comparison. 

Table No. 12 shows a saving of 36% between the high-speed engine 
plant running non-condensing at 36 lbs. of steam, and the Corliss 
compound-condensing at 23 lbs. Table No. 15 shows that the high¬ 
speed engine plant averages about 15 lbs. of coal per car-mile, while 
the Corliss compouDd-condensing averages about 8 lbs.—a saving of 
46%, sufficiently close to the 36% given above to indicate that the coal 
tables give fairly accurate averages. By examining the coal tables we 


























DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 435 

are led to the conclusion that the efficiency of each system is approx- Mr. Davis, 
imately the same, for we find, in general, that, where the number of 
car-miles is high, the consumption of coal per car-mile is low. In the 
North Central and Western States, where coal is not of as good quality 
as in the Eastern States, the consumption is higher (assuming, as we 
safely can, for our purpose, that the economy of various types of 
boilers is practically the same); with roads using hard coal there is an 
apparent higher average in consumption of coal, no doubt due to lower 
car-mileage and fewer cases; and as more economical apparatus is used 
in engine plants, the coal consumption decreases. It would seem, 
therefore, that we are correct in assuming that the total efficiency of 
each system is approximately the same, though varying in each part 
that goes to make up the whole. The variation from 25.9 maximum to 
5 lbs. minimum shows the average approximate value of this informa¬ 
tion. 

The amount of coal consumed per car-mile is dependent upon so 
many conditions, often unknown, that this amount, in any given case, 
cannot be used to predict what the consumption will be on another 
road; hence the importance of taking a large number of cases upon 
which to base average results, which may then be considered fairly 
reliable for the determination of possible results in any new case. It 
will readily be seen that the amount of coal consumed per car-mile 
depends upon the tons moved, the height through which each ton is 
moved, the speed, and the efficiency of the entire system. The first 
three are almost impossible to obtain on any large number of roads 
from the ordinary records kept, and can usually be secured only by 
specially arranged tests. The efficiency of the system depends upon 
that of each part, such as the boiler plant, engines, condensers and 
piping, generators, overhead line, ground-return, track, and equip¬ 
ment. High economy in all but one part of the system might cause 
the pounds of coal per car-mile to be high, and it is therefore im¬ 
possible, without special test, to determine accurately the cause of 
low efficiency in any given case. By taking a large number of cases, 
and eliminating those which are evidently far from the average, we get 
approximate information indicative of what we may expect. 

From Tables Nos. 13, 14 and 15 the average coal consumption per 
car-mile, under the best conditions of electric street railway practice, 
is found to be about 8 lbs. The average weight of these cars, loaded, 
cannot exceed 8 to 10 tons, so that a six-car train would consume 48 
lbs. per train-mile for a maximum weight of 60 tons and average speed 
certainly not exceeding 10 miles per hour; while with a steam train 
the consumption would be 58.8 lbs. per train-mile for a maximum 
weight of 200 tons and average speed of 20 miles per hour. If we 
compare with compound locomotives, Fig. 10 is of considerable in¬ 
terest. It indicates even a greater saving than 20% which increases as 


436 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS 


Mr. Davis. 


TABLE No. 13. 


Steam Plant. 

Coal. 

Road. 

State. 

Car- 

miles. 

Boilers. 

Engines. 

Kind. 

i Tons 

Coal field. : Jfgjj 

lbs.) 


North Atlantic States (As per U. S. Census— 1890). 


56 E 

Maine. 

116 926 

V T 

V.C. 

s. 

Virginia. 

4 2 E 

Massachusetts. 

196 824 

R, T. 

C.C.C. 

s. 

Georges Creek, Md.. 

65 E 

bb 

16 794 961 



s. 


189 E 

b b 

917 956 

VV. T. 

H.S.C.C. 

s. 

Georges Creek, Md.. 

74 E 

bb 

873 177 



s. 


451 E 

bb 

226 123 

R. T. 

c.c. 

s. 


308 E 

Ohio . 

1 378 518 



s. 

Pennsylvania. 

802 E 

Connecticut... 

146 000 

V. T. 1 

H.S.C. 

s. 





R. T. j 




398 E 

New York. 

819 000 

V. T. 

V.C.C 

s. 

Pittsburg. 

78 E 

bb 

2 162 134 

W T 

V.C. 

H. 


249 E 

bb 

637 290 

W. T. 

H.S.C.C. } 

Q 






C.C.C. f 

D. 


214 E 

bb 

199 290 

W. T. 


s. 


281 E 

bb 

350 000 

W. T. 

H.S. 

s. 

Reynoldsville, Pa... 

181 E 

bb 

295 325 

R. T. 

V.C.C. 

s. 

Clearfield. Pa. 

80 E 

bb 

7 164 258 

W. T. 

V.C.C. 

s. 

Reynoldsville. Pa_ 

724 E 

bb 

137 970 

V. T 

H.S. 

H. 


609 E 

bb 

4 558 136 



s. 


842 E 

bb 

73 377 

R. T. 

. 

H.S.C.C. 

s. 


608 E 

bb 

247 482 



s. 


90 E 

New Jersey_ 

87 923 

R. T. 

H.S. 

s. 

Clearfield. Pa. 

558 E 

Pennsylvania.. 

149 730 

R. T. 

H.S. 

s. 


229 E 

bb 

600 000 

V. T. 

V.C. 

H. 

Hazleton, Pa. 

211 E 

bb 

514 989 

R. T. 

c. 

H. 

Girardville. Pa. 

54 E 

bb 

400 648 

W. T. 

H.S.C. 

s. 

Dawson, Pa. 

580 E 

bb 

501 400 

W. T. 

H.S. 

H. 

Schuylkill Co., Pa... 

103 E 

bb 

833 000 

R. T. 

C.C. 

H. 

Liken's Valley, Pa... 



508 

9.7 


939 

10.7 

52 

878 

7.0 

2 

201 

5.4 

2 

262 

5.8 


504 

5.0 

3 

189 

5.2 

1 

000 

15.3 

2 

176 

5.9 

8 

758 

9.1 

5 

100 

17.9 

1 

460 

16.4 

1 

200 

7.7 


682 

5.2 

23 

597 

7.4 

1 

460 

23.7 

19 

043 

9.3 


640 

19.5 

1 

130 

10.2 


387 

9.8 

1 

231 

18.4 

3 

600 

13.4 

2 

852 

12.4 

1 

697 

9.4 

2 

250 

10.0 

3 

000 

8.1 


North Central States (As per U. S. Census—1890). 


648 E 

Missouri. 

2 021 938 

V. T. 

C. 

s. 

150 E 

Ohio. 

449 680 


c. 

s. 

576 E 

bb 

331 000 

R. T. 

H.S. 

s. 

220 E 

bb 

363 040 

R. T. 

C. 

s. 

222 E 

Indiana... 

319 345 

V. T. 

c. 

s. 

107 E 

Illinois. 

1 514 892 

W. T. 

C.C. 

s. 

43 E 

bb 

530 000 

W. T. 

H.S.C. I 
H.S.C.C. f 

s. 

256 E 

bb 

425 000 

R. T. 

C. 

s. 

250 E 

Wisconsin.... 

150 000 

R. T. 

H.S. 

s. 

594 E 

wb 

515 000 

W. T. 

V.C.C. ) 

h.s.c.c. y 

C. 1 

s. 

170 E 

Minnesota.... 

1 133 188 

W. T. 

C.C.C. 

s. 

148 E 

Iowa. 

1 549 060 

V. W. T. 

H.S.C. 

s. 

257 E 
648 E 

Missouri. 

bb 

223 130 
2 021 938 

R. T. 

H.S. 

s. 

s. 

825 E 

bb 

395 650 

R. T. 

c. 

s. 

743 E 

b b 

378 995 

R. T. 

c. 

s. 

53 E 

Nebraska.... 

100 000 

R. T. 

H.S. 

s. 

295 E 

ki 

1 145 158 

I V. T. 

1 R. T. 

H.S. 1 

HS.C. f 

s. 


Illinois. 

Jackson Co.. Ohio. 
Wellston, Ohio.... 


Illinois and Indiana... 


Streator, Ill 


Duquoin, III.. 
Pittsburg. Pa. 


Viclo, Ill. 

Pittsburg, Kan. 

Crawford Co., Kan. \.. 

Pittsburg, Kan. 

Kansas. 

Iowa and Missouri.... 


16 

670 

18.5 

2 

555 

12.7 

1 

500 

10.1 

2 

300 

14.2 

3 

140 

22.0 

9 

080 

13.3 

4 

400 

18.6 

3 

500 

18.4 

1 

500 

22.4 

2 

190 

9.5 

5 

510 

10.9 

11 

400 

18.5 

2 

090 

21.0 

16 

670 

18.5 

2 

150 

12.2 

1 

980 

11.7 


800 

17.9 

9 

802 

19.2 
















































































































DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 437 


TABLE No. 13—( Concluded ). 


Mr. Davis. 


Steam Plant. 

Coal 

Road. 

State. 

Car- 

miles. 

Boilers. 

Engines. 

Kind. 

Coal field. 

Tons 

used. 

(2240 

lbs.) 

Pounds used 

per car-mile. 


South Atlantic States (As per U. S. Census—1890). 


811 E 

D. of Columbia 

534 000 

V. T. 

H.S. 

S. 

Cumberland, Md.... 

1 800 

7.5 

809 E 


365 000 

R. T. 

C. 

s. 

1 500 

9.2 

813 E 

u 

528 500 

W. T. 

H. S. | 

H. S. C. f 

s. 

W. Virginia. 

2 030 

8.6 

128 E 

Georgia. 

98 550 

W. T. 

H.S. 

s. 

Alabama. 

638 

14.5 


Western States (As per U. S. Census—1890). 


157 E 

Colorado.... 

3 451136 

R. T. 

C. ) 

H. 

Trinidad. Colo. 

25 000 

16.2 





H.S. f 




901 E 

44 

138 375 

R. T. 

H.S. 

S. 

Colorado.'.. 

1 350 

21.8 

463 E 

Utah. 

201 890 

R. T. 

C.C. ) 


(Rock Spring, Wyo.. 

838 

9.3 





H.S.C. f 

Q. 

1 Pleasant Valley, U’h 



660 E 

“ . 

658 416 

R. T. 

H.S. 

s. 

i Rock Spring, Wyo.. 

• Pleasant Valley, U’h 

3 328 

11.3 

704 E 

W ashington.. 

157 832 



s. 


1 825 

25.9 

457 E 

California.... 

923 694 

R. T. 

C.C. 

s. 


2 436 

5.9 

751 E 

“ •••• 

424 529 

R. T. 

H.S.C.C. 

s. 


1 250 

6.6 


Canada. 


796 E 

Br. Columbia 

381 400 

R. T. 

C.C.C. 

s. 

British Columbia. 

1 200 

7.0 

777 E 

Ontario. 

6 212 045 

W. T. ) 

C.C.C. i 

s. 


18 535 

6.7 




R. T. f 

H.S.C.C. f 




364 E 

Quebec. 

4 888 486 

i 

F. 

C.C.C. 

s. 

Cape Breton, N. B_ 

16 456 

7.5 


See note under Table No. 15, for explanation of abbreviations. 


the speed rises. Average practice gives about 5.5 lbs. of coal per 
I. H. -P. per hour in single-cylinder steam locomotives, but the char¬ 
acter of the service makes it likely to have enormous variations, in any 
given run. At times this figure is very much exceeded, and also often 
falls, under favorable conditions, to 4.5 lbs. The conditions which 
produce such large fluctuations in steam-locomotive service do not 
exist in the central power station of an electric road. In the latter 
case we cannot safely figure on less than about 2| lbs. of coal per 
I H.-P. per hour. This may be reduced in exceptional cases, but will 
more often be exceeded. Apparently, this is a decided saving in favor 
of the electric road, but it is only apparent. Let us assume the follow¬ 
ing efficiencies, which are fair averages: Engine, 90%; dynamos, 90%; 
line, 80%; and railway motors, 75 per cent. In considering these 
figures it must be remembered that most of the time the larger part of 





































































438 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. TABLE No. 14. —Averages. Number of Roads and Average Pounds 

Per Car-Mile. 


Locality. 

Number. 

Pounds Per Car-Mile. 

Highest. 

Lowest. Average. 




All Roads. 


North Atlantic States. 

South “ “ . 

North Central “ . 

Western “ . 

Canada. 

26 

4 

18 

7 

3 

23.7 

14.5 

22.4 

25.9 

7.5 

5.0 

7.5 

9.5 

5.9 

6.7 

10.65 

9.95 

15.97 

13.86 

7.20 


Totals and averages. 

58 

.... 

.... 

12.46 


Roads Using Soft Coal. 


North Atlantic States. 

South “ “ . 

North Central “ . 

Western “ . 

Canada. 

20 

4 

18 

6 

3 

19.5 

14.5 

22.4 

25.9 

7.5 

5.0 

7.5 

9.5 

5.9 

6.7 

10.01 

9.95 

15.97 

13.46 

7.20 


Totals and averages. 

51 

.... 

.... 

10.38 


Roads Using Hard Coal. 


North Atlantic States. 
South 

North Central k ‘ 

Western “ 

Canada. 


Totals and averages 


6 

23.7 

8.1 

12.78 

'i 

:::: 


16.20 

7 

.... 

.... 

13.27 


See note under Table No. 15, for explanation of abbreviations. 


TABLE No. 15. —Averages (as Per Grouping of Engines). 


Engine Plant. 

No. of 
Roads. 

Pounds Per Car-Mile. 

Highest. 

Lowest. 

Average. 

C.-. 

9 

22.0 

9.0 

14.5 

C. C. 

7 

13.4 

5.0 

9.2 

c. c. c. 

7 

10.9 

5.2 

8.0 

H. S.. 

13 

23.7 

7.5 

15.0 

H. S. C. 

3 

16.5 

9.4 

13.7 

H. S. C. C. 

3 

19.5 

5.4 

10.5 


Note.— The following abbreviations are used in Tables Nos. 13, 14 and 15. 


F. = Flue. 

V. T. = Vertical tubular. 

R. T. = Return “ 

W. T. = Water tube. 

Y. W. T. = Vertical water tube. 
C. = Corliss. 

C. C. = “ condensing. 


C. C. C. = Corliss compound-condensing. 

H. S. = High-speed. 

H. S. C. = “ condensing. 

H. S. C. C. = “ comp’d-condensing. 

S. = Soft coal. 

H. = Hard “ 


























































































DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 439 


Steam Consumption of Baldwin 
Locomotives at Various Speeds. 


the system is running considerably below its rated maximum point of Mr. Davis, 
economy; some engineers might place motors at 80%, making the 
combined efficiency of the entire system about 48.6 per cent. It there¬ 
fore appears that, for a given average horse-power required at the 
driving-wheel to move trains, double that amount, or, for safety, even 
more, must be placed in the central power station, making the coal 
consumption 5.1 lbs. per I. H.-P. per hour at the motor car, which is 
but little better than the average of single-expansion steam-locomotive 
practice, while if compared with compound locomotives (4.4 lbs.) it is 
higher. It must be remembered, however, that we have been compar¬ 
ing the best electric 
railway results at low 
speeds and light weights 
with average practice in 
steam locomotives at 
high speeds and heavy 
weights; and, while the j 29 
efficiency of present elec¬ 
tric railways is probably 
less than if they were 
operated under railroad 
conditions, it is im¬ 
probable that this ad¬ 
vantage would compen¬ 
sate entirely for the 
higher speeds and 
weights which would be 
moved under such cir¬ 
cumstances. 

It is interesting to 
note, as bearing on this 
subject and as addi¬ 
tional indication of the 
correctness of our posi¬ 
tion, that a steam road, 

from which the writer has data, using over 200 000 tons of coal per 
annum and operating over 42 000 000 car-miles, consumes about 11 lbs. 
of coal per car-mile in its locomotives. Remembering that the weight 
moved, in this case, is considerably more than double per car (exclu¬ 
sive of other conditions), and that small detached steam plants are 
used, running high pressure and single expansion, this is strong 
corroborative evidence. Turning to Table No. 16 we find that the cost 
per train-mile on the railroads of the New England States is about 95 
cents, or 19 cents per car-mile; this includes freight trains, which, if 

* The diagram, Fig. 10, is taken from a paper by Mr. S. M. Vauclain, before the St. 

Louis Railroad Club, November 11th, 1898. 






















































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440 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. 


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TABLE No. 16—( Continued ). 

































































DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STAM FOR RAILROADS. 441 


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442 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis, eliminated, would reduce tlie cost per train-mile and car-mile for 
passenger trains. Electric railways in the New England States operate 
at an average of 16.52 cents per car-mile. We also see from Table No. 
11 that the average cost of fuel for locomotives is 8 % of the total cost 
per car-mile (passenger and freight), while, for central power stations, 
it is 5.4 per cent. Combining these figures and allowing for the use 
of compound locomotives (but making no deduction for freight trains) 
we have 1.29 cents per car-mile for locomotive fuel and 0.89 cent per 
car-mile for central power stations. The difference of 31%, apparently 
in favor of the electric system, in the light of the foregoing data, is 
due undoubtedly to light weights, low speeds and including freight 
trains (say 30 cars per train) in the steam-railroad estimate of cost per 
car-mile, and which would * certainly disappear under steam-railroad 
conditions. 

The cost of coal would depend largely upon the amount of power 
necessary to operate a given road; for the larger the power and more 
frequent the trains the greater the saving by the use of electric 
traction. Many central stations, assumed to produce a horse-power 
at lower cost than by smaller units, really do not, mostly due to the 
fact that so large a part of such a station is idle many hours of the 
day; and, although at their maximum point of economy they are far 
ahead of small units, the question at issue is not “ the cost of a horse¬ 
power at the station,” but “ the cost of a horse-power at the rim of the 
driving wheels.” The cost of this last-mentioned horse-power for 
electric traction is not only made up of station expenses, but also line 
expenses and electrical equipment expenses, when compared with the 
cost of the same horse-power produced by a steam locomotive. When 
these facts are taken into consideration it is invariably found that the 
controlling factor is the headway of trains; the less the headway, the 
more chance for electric traction to pay, and vice versa, so far as the 
cost of a horse-power at the rim of the driving wheel is concerned, as 
affected by the amount of fuel burned. The figures given show this 
clearly. 

The cost of handling coal would be substantially the same with 
either system, as there would be only one coaling station in either 
case. The cost of water would undoubtedly be greater in steam-loco¬ 
motive practice, where it must be supplied at various points along an 
extended line; but on short suburban roads, to which our discussion 
is limited, the steam locomotive could make a round trip without 
requiring water, or would have to be supplied only at each en,d of the 
line; and, as the central power station would use much more water on 
account of larger horse-power and the use of condensing, it is hardly 
likely that there would be any great difference between the systems. 
The use of oil and waste on the motor cars should be much less than 
that which is necessary for the proper care of steam locomotives; 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 443 


TABLE No. 17. 

Case 1, Fig. 11. 

(a) Unlimited amount of water power. 

(b) i wo sources of power, each 100 miles from the line of railway (85 miles long) 

and dividing the same into J4, and J4. 

(c) Development of these water-powers to cost no more than eleven power stations 

in Case 2 (this is highly unlikely, but favors Case 1 as against Case 2). 

(d) Three-phase alternating current of 20 000 volts to be used from source of power 

to sub-stations, and 1 000 volts direct current from sub-stations to railway 
motors (this favors Casel as against Case 2). 

(e) Sections, 8.5 miles long (44 892 ft.). 

(/) Sub-sections, 11 223 ft. long, 30 in all, each with a sub-station rotary-transformer 
plant. 

(g) Three tracks, minimum headway on each, three minutes; trains of five cars 

each, being 8.5 miles apart. 

( h ) Each train will require not more than 10 000 I. H.-P. at the stations, under eco¬ 

nomical conditions. 

(i) Each sub-station an economical rating of 20 000 I. H.-P. 

O') In either case, feeder lines along the line of railway equal each other (this also 
favors Case 1 as against Case 2). 

(fc) All other conditions to be the same as assumed in a previous article by the 
writer.* 

Case 2, Fig. 12. 

(a) Eleven pow r er stations, one for each section and one at each end of the line, 8.5 

miles apart, each supplying current to 3 sub-stations with rotary transform¬ 
ers—sub-stations 2.125 miles apart. 

( b ) Cost of the eleven power stations, each 30 000 I. H.-P., economical rating to 

equal the cost of developing water powers in Case 1 (favoring Case 1 as 
against Case 2). 

(c) Three-phase alternating current of 10 000 volts from power stations to sub-sta¬ 

tions, and 1 000 volts direct current from sub-stations to railway motors (this 
favors Case 1 as against Case 2). 

( d ) All other conditions similar to e, /, g , h, £, j and fc, of Case 1. 


Mr. Davis. 


* “ The Enormous Possibilities of Rapid Electric Travel.” Engineering Magazine , 
1897. 


electric motors can have their wearing parts run in oil boxes, which 
are a protection against dust and dirt, and automatically lubricate 
the surfaces subjected to friction, but this cannot be done in the case 
of steam locomotives. This saving in an electric system is, however, 
counterbalanced by the use of oil and waste in the central power 
station, so that it is unlikely that there would be much, if any, differ¬ 
ence. The figures in Table No. 11 indicate, however, that there is a 
saving of about 50% in each of these items as compared with steam 
railroad results. 

Thus far we have considered an electric line with power stations 
located adjacent to the track and with the usual 500-volt direct-current 
system. If a cheap source of power (waterfall), located at a distance, 
with the power transmitted to the line, will reduce operating expenses 
below what they would be by the assumed method, then this saving 
can be compared to the results of a steam railroad; but, should the 
reverse be true, the latter comparison is unnecessary. An example 
will best bring out the facts, and, while the case is hypothetical, a 


% 





444 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis, careful examination of the figures will satisfy one that the conclusion 
is correct, whether or not the estimates in themselves are considered 
accurate. 

Fig. 11 shows the layout of a railroad and feeder lines utilizing a 
cheap source of power (Case 1), while Fig.. 12 shows one for which 
power is generated by steam plants along the line of the road (Case 2). 

Assume the conditions shown in Table No. 17. 

From Figs. 11 and 12 it will be seen that the track, third rail, 
direct-current feeders, sub-stations, etc., will be the same in both 



cases. The amount of copper in the high-voltage sub-feeders in Fig. 

11, which run from the points where the transmission lines strike dhe 
road to the sub-stations either way, would be greater than that in the 
high-voltage lines from the power stations to the sub-stations in Fig. 

12. The main point to consider, however, is the high-voltage trans¬ 
mission lines themselves (Fig. 11) from the water-powers to the points 
where they strike the line of the railroad. Under the above conditions* 
if the interest on the additional investment for these transmission lines 
from the “ cheap source ” of power to the railroad line in Case 1, exceeds 
the difference between Case 2 and Case 1 in cost of power delivered to 












DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 445 


tlie sub-station supply feeders, then it is unprofitable to utilize the Mr. 
“ cheap source ” of power. ' 

Our calculations, therefore, can be confined to the cost of the two 
transmission lines in Case 1, each 100 miles long, from the two sources 
of water-power to the line of railroad; and the difference in the cost 
of producing power at these waterfalls and the sub-station supply 
feeders. If the interest on the former exceeds the difference in the 
latter, then it is unprofitable to use the “ cheap source ” of power. 

In making the calculations, every care has been taken to be fair to 
the distant source of power, and wherever then is any room for doubt, 
the “cheap source ” has been given the benefit. 



The calculation of the pounds of copper necessary is as follows: 


Circular mils 

(Diameter of wires squared) 


Current = 


Watts 

~v~ 


Current X Distance in feet X 20 
Volts lost in line. 
Hcrse-Power X 746 
Voltage of transmission. 


Pounds of copper = 0.016 X circular mils X miles. 


Therefore, 

Pounds of copper 


^ ^ Horse-Power X miles 2 _ 

1 262 000 (Voltage of transmission) X (Loss in volts). 


For 100 miles transmission at 20 000 volts, and a loss of voltage in 
the line of 20%, or 4 000 volts the formula becomes: 

Pounds of copper = 158 X Horse-Power. 













446 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. This is correct for direct current. For alternating, the inductive 
loss would increase the amount of copper required to obtain the same 
total percentage loss, or, if the same amount of copper were used, would 
increase the total percentage loss. At the same time there would be a 
saving due to the three-phase wiring system, which would partly coun¬ 
terbalance the loss due to induction. The actual formula would have 
to be deduced for each special case of wiring, but, on the whole, the 
above formula, used directly, is sufficient for our purpose.* * 

As the horse-power to be transmitted equals 412 500 at 20% loss 
(330 000 H.-P. delivered at the railroad line), the total amount of 
copper necessary is 65 175 000 lbs. 

We therefore make the comparison shown in Table No. 18. 


TABLE No. 18. 

Case 1. Case 2. 

Allowable loss in pressure from water-powers to railway 

line. 20% . 

Total horse-power to be delivered to railway line at supply 

feeders of sub-stations. 330 000 330 000 

Total horse-power at source of power. 412 500 330 000 

Number of power stations. ♦ 2 11 

Total horse-power at each power station. 206 250 30 000 

Total distance power is transmitted from each station 

(miles). 100 0 

Pressure at source of power (volts). 20 000 10 000 

“ “ railway line (volts). 16 000 10 000 

“ lost in line (volts). 4 000 0 

Number of sub-stations supplied from each source. 15 3 

Average length of sub-feeders (miles). 10.625 4.25 

Number of sub-stations on each group of sub-feeders. 7.5 3 

Pounds of copper in transmission line. 65 175 000 0 


To the total cost of transmission line, amounting to $25 000 000 (in 
round numbers), should be added the additional cost of developing 
the two water-powers to 412 500 H.-P. as against 330 000 H.-P. in the 
eleven steam-power stations along the railroad line. There should also 
be added the additional cost of feeder lines from the two railroad ter¬ 
minals of the transmission lines to the sub-stations, as against the cost 
of feeders from the steam-power stations to the sub-stations. While 
these two items would undoubtedly amount to several million dollars 
in the case under discussion, we have omitted them, owing to the dif¬ 
ficulty of estimating the former without accurate surveys of special 
localities to be developed; their omission favors Case 1. So far, we 
have an excess in first cost of $25 000 000 against Case 1 as compared 
with Case 2. 

D x W 

* The correct formula is: Circular mils = _ X K ; 

Jr X & ~ 

where D = distance one way in feet, 

W — total watts delivered to consumer, 

P = percentage of loss in line of TY, 

K = 1 690, 

and E — potential between conductors at consumers’ end of line. 

















DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 447 


Table No. 19 is an estimate of the cost of our proposed transmis- Mr. Davis 
sion line. 


TABLE No. 19. 


Right-of-way—two strips 100 ft. wide and 100 miles long = about 2 500 

acres at $1 000 average. 

Engineering, 2# on $15 000 000. 

Clearing 600 acres at $100. 

Bridges, viaducts, or submarine cables, say (an approximate estimate). 

Fencing. 

Crossings, say 120 at $1 000. 

Signals for guarding and repairing 200 miles at $1 000. 

Telegraph, 200 miles at $1 000. 

Narrow-gauge repair track and equipment, 200 miles at $5 000. 

Feeders, 65 175 000 lbs. at 15 cents in place. 

Pole line, 11 000 poles set in concrete at $100 each. 

Discount on $25 000 000, 3# 100-year bonds. 

Interest on bonds to opening of road, say 10 years of construction, 

averaging $2 500 000 per annum at 3#. 

Taxes to opening of road, assuming assessment and 2# rate. 

Office expenses, salaries, etc., to opening of road, 2% on $15 000 000. 

Contingent, etc., not itemized, to opening of road, 5.2#. 


$2 500 000 
300 000 
60 000 
1 500 000 
200 000 
120 000 
200 000 
200 000 
1 000 000 
9 780 000 
1 100 000 
1 250 000 

4 125 000 
1 375 000 
300 000 
1 300 000 


Total cost 


$25 310 000 


Table No. 20 is a comparison of the running expenses under the 
two conditions, based upon the calculations in “The Enormous Pos¬ 
sibilities of Rapid Electric Travel,” already referred to, the items 
being given in percentages of the total cost per car-mile run, and 
being reasonable averages (Table No. 11, Column 8). 


TABLE No. 20.* 

Repairs of N. G. track on transmission line right-of-way .... 
Repairs of fences, crossings, etc., on transmission line 

right-of-way. 

Repairs of feeder lines on transmission line right-of-way ... 
Renewals of poles and insulation on transmission line right- 

of-way. 

Renewals of feeder on transmission line right-of-way. 

Repairs of bridges and trestles on transmission line right- 

of-way. 

Repairs of buildings on transmission line right-of-way...... 

Repairs of signals and telegraph on transmission line light- 

of-way. 

Fuel for power stations. 

Water supply. 

Oil and waste. 

Repairs of power stations. 

Power station wages. 

Average horse-power developed at source of power. 

Total car-miles per annum. 

Total cost per car-mile. •••••• 

Add for excess power developed by water-powers (25#) 

say.. 


Case 1. Case 2. 
1 . 0 # . 

0 . 1 # . 

6 . 0 # . 

1.5# . 

1 . 0 # . 

0.3# . 

0 . 1 # . 

0.5# . 

. 8 . 0 # 

. 1 . 0 # 

0.5# 1.0# 

2.0# 4.0# 

2.0# 4.0# 

412 500 330 000 

43 435 000 43 435 000 

. 15 cts. 

3.0# . 


* All other items being the~same, the reader is referred to the other articles men 
tioned in this discussion. 



















































448 DISCUSSION - ON T ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. From Table No. 20, it is seen that the items added to the cost per 
car-mile by the use of water-powers located 100 miles away about bal¬ 
ance the greater cost of fuel, water, oil and waste, repairs to power 
stations, and power-station wages, where the stations are located 
close to the tracks and operated by steam power (each amounts to 
18 per cent.). Hence the total expenses would be practically the same 
for each case. As the transmission lines cost $25 000 000, the interest 
thereon is the total increase in the expense of utilizing the water- 
powers instead of steam-power plants. This interest may be figured 
at 3% ($750 000), 4% ($1 000 000), 5% ($1 250 000), 6% ($1 500 000), or 
even 10% ($2 500 000), as the case may require, or good judgment dic¬ 
tate. The use, therefore, of these supposed water-powers would 
decrease the earning capacity instead of increasing it. 

Let us, for the moment, assume that our calculations of the operat¬ 
ing expenses with the use of water-powers is inaccurate, that in many 
of the items there is a greater saying, and that those having no counter¬ 
part in the other column can be materially reduced. 


TABLE No. 21. 


Interest. 

Car-miles. 

Total Interest. 

Saving in Cents per Car-mile which 
must take place to allow the 

10% 

43 435 000 

$2 500 000 

investment. 

5.81 

6% 

6 6 

1 500 000 

3.68 

5% 

6 6 

1 250 000 

2.90 

4% 

a 

1 000 000 

2.32 

3% 

66 

750 000 

1.74 

But 18% (total of percentage items 

in Table No. 20) of 15 cents 


(assumed cost per car-mile) equals 2.7 cents; so that, at the five interest 
rates, we can afford to have our figures wrong by the percentages shown 
in Table No. 22. 

TABLE No. 22. 


With interest at 10% — 266% of 18% = (38% of total) 

“ “ “ 6%-133% “ “ = (24% “ “ ) 

“ “ “ 5% —105%“ “ = (19% “ “ ) 

“ “ “ 4% — 83%“ “ =c (15% “ “ ) 

“ “ “ 3 % _ 64% “ “ = ( 11 % “ “ ) 

It is unlikely that we have made any such error as would be neces¬ 
sary to show that, even with money worth only 3 %, it would pay to 
utilize the water-powers in the case we have discussed. Furthermore, 
we have favored Case 1 in every way, and more especially by compar¬ 
ing a 20 000 -volt system with one of 10 000 volts. 

Had we used higher voltages on our transmission line, the copper 
would have cost: 

At 50 000 volts 
“ 100 000 “ 


63 X H.-P. = 10 310 000 lbs. 
25 x H.-P. = 2 600 000 “ 


$1 555 000. 
390 000. 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 449 


By using higher voltages some items of the first cost would be Mr. Davis, 
slightly reduced, but, as these constitute more than 60% of the total 
cost, whereas copper constitutes less than 40%, a reduction in the latter 
increases the percentage of the former, although reducing the actual 
amount. Using 100 000 volts, the first cost would not be less than 
$10 000 000; the interest on this at 3% equals $300 000, and the corre¬ 
sponding saving per car-mile which must take place to allow this in¬ 
vestment equals 0.7 cent; therefore 25% of 18% (4.6% of total) can be 
allowed, even in this case, for errors in our calculation. 

The case we have discussed shows conclusively that it would not 
pay to utilize the water-powers. But, it may be said, this covers only 
one problem. While this is true, nevertheless this problem is one 
chosen to enable us to arrive at a general conclusion; for we are dealing 
with a very large amount of power at a comparatively short distance. 

The larger the power to be used, the more likely it is that a cheap 
source will prove profitable; the greater the distance over which the 
power must be transmitted, the less likely it is that a cheap source will 
prove profitable. 

These calculations have been given to bring out clearly how unlikely 
it is that, even by the use of alternating long-distance transmission, a 
trunk line like the Pennsylvania Railroad, for example, will convert 
its entire system to electric traction. This system, east of Pittsburg, 
has 2 747.35 miles of railroad, 8 259.36 miles of single track, 1 803 
locomotives, 1 765 passenger, baggage and express cars, and 90 527 
goods cars. If locomotives were converted at an average horse-power 
of 300 each, this would make an aggreate of 216 360 H.-P. to be trans¬ 
mitted (allowing 20% in shops and 50% of the total horse-power of the 
locomotives to be transmitted), while it would have to be taken over many 
times the distance given in the example. Apply the formula for pounds 
of copper in transmission line and we see how enormously the weight 
is increased as the distance increases in the case of the Pennsylvania 
Railroad. The cost is astonishing when one remembers the claims of 
an enthusiast who stated: “Where water-power is always available 
within a few hundred miles” or “for desert railways, where water 
cannot be obtained,” “ electric traction is eminently suitable.” 

Repairs of passenger locomotives and tenders on steam roads 
average from 4 to 6 cents per mile, with about 1.5 cents to be added 
for repairs to tools, shops, machinery, etc., properly chargeable to 
“ motive power repairs.” Statistics of electric roads are very imper¬ 
fect and unreliable on matters of this kind, not only because, in the 
past such roads have usually been operated by those familiar with 
horse traction, and having little mechanical knowledge of or inclina¬ 
tion toward the precise methods of steam-railroad management and 
operation, but because of the constant change of apparatus long before 
the old had given the life which could reasonably be expected of it as 
a piece of mechanism. 


450 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


. Davis. Even if we had such data as we might wish from existing electric 
roads, they would be only indications of what might be expected on 
a system similar to the one under discussion. From Table No. 11 we 
find that locomotive and passenger car repairs amount to 9 %, while 
motors, trucks and cars on the electric railroads of Massachusetts cost 
9.2%, which again favors the steam railroads; for to this must be 
added 2% for power-plant repairs, making a total of 11.2 per cent. 

When we remember the small horse-power involved, and the light 
weights and low speeds, it is hardly likely, with the large increase in 
these necessary under steam-railroad conditions, that the cost of repairs 
and maintenance of the motive power of an electric road will be any 
less than that of a steam road. It is to be regretted that more reliable 
and extensive data are not obtainable. Repairs and maintenance of 
passenger cars would be the same in either system. The item “ use 
of foreign passenger cars ” is the rental paid for the use of cars of 
other roads while retained, and of course would be unaffected by the 
use of any particular system. While the operation of a motor car 
involves far less labor than that of a steam locomotive and its tender, 
yet the danger that the operator might be incapacitated makes it 
necessary to have two men at the head of the train, although one man 
would easily be able to do all the required work. As it takes two men 
to run the ordinary passenger locomotive, there would be no advan¬ 
tage of one system over the other. It would be a mistake to save 
wages by utilizing a lower degree of intelligence or skill for motormen 
and their assistants than is now used for engineers and firemen on 
steam railroads; the tendency to do this has cost electric street-rail¬ 
way owners many thousands of dollars —more, in fact, than is usually 
realized. Passenger-train service would not be affected by the use of 
one system or the other. Central-power-station service is an addi¬ 
tional charge against the electric road. Were the operative method 
changed, train services (wages) would be greatly increased, as shown 
in Table No. 11. 

We now come to (c) “ Station, Terminal, Taxes and General 
Expenses,” divided into ten subdivisions, none of which is affected 
by the character of road-bed, rolling stock or mechanical apparatus 
of any kind, but is dependent upon the character of the business 
handled, the mode of operation and the volume of traffic; therefore 
these items are unaffected by the use of any particular motive power. 
The same statements apply to the division ( d ) “Accident, Loss and 
Damage,” and to (e) “Interest Account.” 

“ Fixed charges ” includes interest on bonds, and rentals; the actual 
rate of interest on bonds is not affected by the system used, except in 
ways beyond the scope of this discussion. We have shown that the 
first cost of an electric system is considerably greater than that of a 
steam-locomotive road when operating under the same conditions, and 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 451 


only in one case will it be less, namely, when the units are small, light Mr. Davis, 
and very frequent, when the cost of locomotives would more than equal 
the natural increases caused by electricity. 

Therefore the “ fixed charges ” of an electric system, under steam- 
railroad conditions will be much higher, and this may vary from 5 to 
15% or more as an increase of expenses against the electric road, as¬ 
suming, of course, that the cost in each case is covered by bonds, which 
is now usual. 

This is no inconsiderable item, as the average fixed charges of our 
present steam roads are not less than 20 % of the gross receipts, and, 
if this is increased largely by the use of electricity, it is more of a 
burden than can be overcome by inconsiderable savings in items of 
operating expenses (if such savings are even possible), such as slightly 
lower coal consumption, motor car repairs and maintenance, bridge 
repairs and maintenance, track repairs and maintenance, etc., which 
may be claimed in favor of electricity by some ardent advocates, irre¬ 
spective of the intrinsic merits of any given problem. 

To recapitulate: We see, by Table No. 11, that the additional 
charges against electric traction, omitting interest on increased fixed 
charges, amounts to 6.97%, while the savings, allowing the maximum 
in each case and all doubtful items, is 4.95%; or 2.02% against the 
electric system, with the largest of all items not considered. 

From what precedes we have shown that the following would be 
additional charges against the electric road over a steam railroad, and 
that they would not be inconsiderable, especially the interest charge: 

1. Interest on increased cost. 

2. Renewal and repairs of transmission line. 

3. Repairs of motors and central power plants. 

4. Central-power-station services. 

And the following the possible, but not necessarily probable, 
savings: 

1. Renewal of rails. 

2. Repairs of bridges, trestles, etc. 

3. Fuel for central-power plants (unlikely). 

4. Water supply (unlikely). 

5. Oil and waste (unlikely). 

These are items of sufficient importance to necessitate a very careful 
study of each individual problem before deciding upon a change, or 
even an original installation. 

But some may say that the average of 17 cents per car-mile is high 
for electric roads, and so it is for a first-class well-managed road, but 
so is 19 cents for a similar steam road. The Metropolitan Street 
Railway of New York makes the statement that they operated at 11.95 


452 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis, cents per car-mile, while in an article in Gassier's Magazine of August, 
1899, the statement is made that the Chicago South Side Elevated 
operated, in the month of December, 1898, at 7.5 cents per car-mile. 
Both these figures must be taken with a great deal of caution, and for 
the same reason, namely, the period during which both systems have 
been in operation has been short, and neither yet knows what its true 
operating expenses are. Table No. 11 (last column) indicates this. In 
this table it is seen that the “ train expenses ” of the Metropolitan 
Street Railway, most items of which are unaffected by time, are ap¬ 
proximately equal to the average of all Massachusetts roads, which have 
been running several years, while “ maintenance and renewal of way 
and works ” are about 25% of the Massachusetts roads. “General 
expenses” are also about 25%, and accidents about 70 per cent. 
General expenses were distributed between cable, horse and electric 
systems; but, assume that these figures are correct, and that an 
electric road can be operated at 7.5 cents per car-mile, even then they 
are not approaching the best steam railroad results. The Pennsyl¬ 
vania Railroad Division of that system operated, in 1897, about 5 cars 
per passenger train and 30 cars per freight train (both figures are 
probably underestimated); a total train mileage of about 50 000 000 
was made, divided into 16 000 000 passenger-train-miles and 34 000 000 
freight-train-miles. The cost per train-mile was about 75 cents for the 
total mileage. Taking 75 cents as the actual cost per train-mile, for 
either passenger or freight, we would have 15 cents per car-mile as 
operating expenses for passenger cars and 2.5 cents per car-mile for 
freight. This method of estimating is obviously wrong, for a freight- 
train-mile must cost more than a passenger-train-mile, but the former 
would have to rise above the average to $2.25 per freight-train-mile 
before the cost per car-mile would increase beyond 7.5 cents. Again, 
the average weight of an electric car may be taken at 20 000 lbs. (10 
tons), so that at 7.5 cents per car-mile the operating expenses would 
be 0.75 cent per ton-mile, while the Pennsylvania Railroad Division 
operated at 0.311 cent per ton-mile. 

In making a comparison in the use of steam locomotives and electric 
motors as motive powers, it is seen that only where the units are 
many, light and frequent, and operated over comparatively short dis¬ 
tances, can the use of electricity result in lower first cost or operating 
expenses; but this involves a change in the method of operation for it 
to prove desirable. Where units are few, heavy and infrequent, and 
operated over long distances, the use of steam locomotives will result 
in lower first cost and operating expenses, and prove more desirable. 
Though this general statement may be modified by special conditions, 
such as very high speeds at frequent intervals, it will generally govern 
in determining changes, or the choice of one or the other, in the case 
of newly projected roads. 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOE RAILROADS. 453 

Without trying to define the exact limit beyond which electricity Mr. Davis, 
would be injudicious, we can state that, except for suburban traffic, 
and interurban traffic between towns a short distance apart, electric 
traction is to-day higher in first cost and operating expenses; apd even 
when used under such conditions, it may still be so, and success will 
only come with a corresponding change in operative methods. 

The fact that usually the first cost and the total expenses will be 
greater with electricity than with steam might lead us to discard the 
thought of using the former under any circumstances, were it not for 
the question: How will our gross receipts be affected by the use of 
one or the other system? If by using electric traction we can increase 
sufficiently the gross receipts per car-mile or train-mile, and per 
mile of road, we can afford to pay for the additional first cost and 
greater total expenses. This is the vital question and the real one at 
issue, although usually not so considered; but, in general, the induce¬ 
ment to adopt electricity instead of steam, or to discard the latter, will 
be the increased travel which undoubtedly comes, in a greater or less 
degree, to roads using electric motors. 

Freight and miscellaneous receipts cannot be affected by any change 
of motive power, so our discussion will be confined to the effect on 
passenger receipts. 

3. Gross Receipts. 

By examining statistics of steam railroads we find that the volume 
of travel is influenced by such features as the following : Convenient 
location of stations with respect to centers of population; length of 
line ; proximity of terminals to the centers of population ; number of « 
trains ; (the four points just mentioned have an overwhelming effect 
on short-haul traffic) ; good road-bed and track neatly kept; hand¬ 
some commodious stations, with first-class appointments and service ; 
comfortable and luxurious cars; block signals ; cleanliness, etc. 

Profit is proportional to success in obtaining that travel which enables 
each train to run full, for the cost of a train-mile is not affected by the 
number of seats taken ; and it is this travel which is obtained by a line 
giving weight to its “location” and “appointments.” In freight 
competition between railroads the rates are ultimately dependent upon 
the cost from “ consignor to consignee,” not from station to station, 
and the railroad eventually pays the additional cost of lighterage, 
switching, cartage, etc., and the profit thereon, whether by actual 
difference in rates or loss of business. 

The same is true in passenger traffic, as will be seen by free omni¬ 
buses, reduction in rates, etc. If you can take the passenger up at his 
own door and set him down at his place of destination, you have not 
only suited his convenience (and thus, as we shall see, induced him 
to travel oftener), but have secured those receipts which otherwise 


454 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. 


TABLE No. 23.—Population 


States. 

Population (United States 
Census, 1890). 

Density (population per 

square mile). 

Total area 

(square miles). 

Area of settlement 

(square miles). 

Urban Population (calcu¬ 
lated prom U. S. 
Census 1890.) 

Towns 8 000 
and upward. 

Towns 2 500 
to 8 000. 

1 No. of | 

1 towns. | 

Total 

popula¬ 

tion. 

| No. of 

! towns. 

Total 

popula¬ 

tion. 

f 1 ) 

(3) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(J) 

(8) 

(9) 

Maine. 

661 086 

22.11 

29 895 

25 729 

8 

130 346 

39 

152 677 

Connecticut. 

746 258 

154.03 

4 845 

4 845 

17 

385 287 

49 

204 923 

Massachusetts. 

2 238 943 

278.48 

8 040 

8 040 

47 

1 M 4 931 

103 

445 018 

Rhode Island. 

345 506 

318.44 

1 085 

1 085 

10 

272 571 

13 

55 439 

New Hampshire. 

376 530 

41.81 

9 005 

8 328 

5 

103 058 

22 

85 137 

Vermont. 

332 422 

36.39 

9 135 

9135 

2 

28 350 

1 

22 

90 713 

Totals and averages. 

4 700 745 

79.79 

62 005 

57 662 | 

89 

2 482 543 j 

248 

1 033 907 


would have gone to omnibuses, hackmen, and street-car lines. This 
the steam railroads have failed to do, and it is clear that they cannot 
altogether do away with these feeders natural to their peculiar modes 
and conditions of traffic ; but there is little room to doubt that in many 
cases steam railroads can modify their present methods, for suburban 
traffic out of large centers of population and for interurban passenger 
traffic on branch lines between centers of population, by the use of 
electricity, paying the additional first cost and greater total expenses 
out of the probable (we might say certain) enormous increase in their 
gross receipts. This, the writer believes, can be accomplished only 
by a radical change in the present methods of operation, making 
them approach, on parts of the system, the present “ leave-at-your- 
door ” plan of our street railways, while keeping, on the rest of the 
system, the present methods of steam railroads with possibly some 
minor modifications. To accomplish this to advantage, the use of 
electricity will probably prove advisable, although in some instances 
a combination of electricity with steam might give the best results. 
The great increase in gross receipts and in net revenue may, and very 
often will, decide the question beyond any possible doubt in favor of 
electricity, always remembering that the adoption of electric traction 
means a corresponding adaptation of operative methods, and not the 
mere application of a special form of motive power. 

Let us consider some of the figures bearing on the problem. 

The Pennsylvania Railroad originally spent about $5 000 000 for its 
Broad Street terminal; the great St. Louis Bridge and Union Station 







































DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 455 


Statistics (United States Census). 


Mr. Davis. 


Urban Population (Calculated from U. S. Census, 1890). 


Towns 1 000 
to 2 500. 

Total in Towns 
1 000 and up¬ 
ward. 

Balance 
of popu¬ 
lation 
not in 
towns, 

1 000 and 
upward. 

Table No. 28. 

Table No. 29 
(omitting 

C 13). 

Table No. 28 
plus 29 (omit¬ 
ting C 13). 

No. of 
towns. 

Total 

popula¬ 

tion. 

o ^ 

63 

Total 

popula¬ 

tion. 

® s’ 

o * 

63 

Popula¬ 

tion 

served. 

d* 

Popula¬ 

tion 

served. 

o § 

63 

Popula¬ 

tion 

served. 

(10) 

143 

56 

107 

9 

74 

93 

89 894 
172 984 
14 112 
105 018 
135 831 

(I*) 

190 

122 

257 

32 

101 

117 

(13) 

492 887 
680104 

2 182 933 
342 122 
293 213 
252 894- 

(14-) 

168 199 
66 154 
56 010 

3 384 
83 317 
79 528 

(15) 

25 

52 

144 

&%« 
326 252 

1 850 837 

(17) 

9 

37 

32 

(18) 

90 219 
401 858 
581 668 

(1 H 

77 

152 

(30)' 
210 887 
474 420 

1 961 280 



7 

106 673 

7 

106 673 









482 

727 703 

819 

4 244 153 

456 592 

221 

2 352 765 

85 

1 180 418 

268 

2 753 260 


cost many more millions; while the Market Street terminal of the 
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, the Union Station of the Boston 
and Maine Railroad systems, the Southern Union Station of the New 
York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in Boston, and the Grand 
Central Station in New York are proofs of the millions of dollars spent 
by railroad companies to locate their terminals at or near the centers 
of population. These expenditures were incurred almost entirely for 
the sake of increasing the suburban passenger traffic, although giving 
a decided stimulus to through and competitive business. In the 
writer’s opinion, our steam railroad companies can afford to double (to 
use a broad and inaccurate expression) these investments to accom¬ 
plish what has been suggested above, reaping a handsome return from 
the increased gross receipts from the passenger traffic thus obtained 
and encouraged. 

Taking the New England States as a basis for comparison—for 
there we shall find the shortest hauls, the most dense population, 
the greatest number of trains, and the most accurate statistics—we 
have from Poor’s Manual, Railroad Commissioner’s Reports and special 
calculations by the writer the various tables and figures hereafter dis¬ 
cussed. 

Effect of Increased Population.— Fig. 1 shows clearly the enormous 
growth of population and railroad mileage in the United States since 
1830, when steam railroads were just coming into existence. Street 
railways started at about the same time, the first street car operating 
on the New York and Harlem Railroad tracks, Fourth Avenue, New 







































456 DISCUSSION" ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. TABLE No. 24.— Growth of Street Bail ways in 10 Years, 

1888 to 1898 (a). 


Motive 

Power. 

Number of 
Railways. 

Miles of Track. 

Number of Cars. 

Average 
Length of i 
Railway 
(Miles of 
Track). 






Percentage 



j Percentage 








to total. 



j to total. 




1888. 

1898. 

1888. 

1898. 

1888. 

1898. 

1888. 

1898. 

1888. 

1898. 

1888. 

1898. 

Electric. 

21 

914 

86 

14 782 

1.4 

90.2 

172 

41 402 

0.6 

87.8 

4.09 

16.17 

Cable. 

18 

20 

217 

486 

3.6 

3.0 

2 777 

2 920 

11.1 

6.2 

12.06 

24.30 

Horse. 

566 

112 

5 474 

683! 

91.4 

4.2 

21 736 

2 860 

86.6 

6.0 

9.67 

6.09 

Steam. 

35 

27 

216 

421 

3.6 

2.6 

(6)423 

(6)404 

1.7 

0.8 

6.17 

16.59 

Totals... 

640 

1 073 

5 993 

16 372 j 



25 108 

47 586 



















(а) From an article by Mr. William J. Clarke, entitled “ Electric Railways in America 
from a Business Standpoint. ’ Cassier's Magazine , August, 1899. 

(б) Includes locomotives. 

This table is evidently approximate, and was undoubtedly not intended to be exact. 

York City, in November, 1832. It would be curious if in the near 
future (70 years after) some steam railroad should again change it® 
mode of operation so as to approach the methods of street railways. 
Curves Nos. 7 and 8 show the growth of urban population (according 
to United States Census those communities which have 8 000 or more 
inhabitants), while Table No. 23 shows the urban population in Massa¬ 
chusetts down to towns of 1 000 inhabitants. 

It is unfortunate that the old horse railways have left so few records,, 
but Fig. 2, showing the increase of mileage in Massachusetts from 1870, 
gives an indication, while Table No. 24 shows the growth of street 
railways in ten years, 1888 to 1898. The mileage of street railways 
(16 000) when compared with that of steam railroads (182 000) show® 
that the former are confined to thickly populated areas, either within 
their limits or connecting two or more such areas. Their methods of 
operation—small, frequent units—adapted itself to such distribution 
of inhabitants and not to the longer hauls at infrequent intervals 
shown by the mileage of steam railroads. 

The growth of population and industries of all kinds (ipcluding 
transportation) react on each other, favorably or otherwise, depend¬ 
ing upon conditions of prosperity. A system like the Pennsylvania 
Railroad could not have existed in 1830, even though it could have 
been operated at as low a cost as to-day. It had no suburban short- 
haul business in its early days. 























































DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 457 

The concentration of population into “ urban ” districts has come Mr. Davis, 
through the increased transit facilities of such communities. The 
horse-roads first enabled a growth which made it necessary for the 
steam railroads to increase their local facilities, which again reacted 
on the population to increase it, and then came the cable road to 
reduce the time spent in getting in and out from the residential 
sections to the business centers; this, in turn, increased the radius of 
urban population, and again the steam railroads reached out farther 
from the center of population; all of which encouraged concentration 
of inhabitants, and the electric railway once more caused a similar 
cycle of events. 

There is no reason to suppose that these conditions have ceased, 
and that this action and reaction have stopped. It is this enormous 
development of the country which has allowed the constant increase of 
investment on transportation systems, and this in turn has increased 
the carriage of both passengers and freight. In the growth of transit 
facilities and methods the “ radius of action ” of the roads has increased 
constantly, and as it increased so did the urban population and vice 
versa; but when our cities grow beyond the present “radius of action,” 
bur transit systems must take another step. Some communities have 
already arrived there, and the solution will undoubtedly be the equip¬ 
ment of our steam railroads, running out of and between those near 
together, with electric traction. This will enable them to change 
operative methods to approach present street railway practice, thus 
increasing gross receipts enough to offset interest on increased first 
cost, and reduce operating expenses per car-mile; for the increase in 
present investments and traffic have also tended to reduce the cost of 
transportation per head. 

Effect of Increased Capitalization. —Fig. 2 also shows the enormous 
increase in mileage and investment of street railways in Massachusetts, 
where the density of population is high and has increased more rapidly 
than in any other part of the United States, as shown by Curves Nos. 

5 and 6, Fig. 1. It is because of this increase, which is still going on, 
that constant increased investments are warranted on established transit 
systems. This will induce our steam railroads to handle increased 
traffic in urban, suburban and interurban areas by small, frequent units, 
operated by electric motors, and thus also stimulate and again increase 
a traffic which will only grow so much and then wait to be encouraged. 

Curve 6, Fig. 2, shows the tendency toward increased investment 
per mile; the drop from 1894 to 1896 indicates a greater increase in 
suburban than urban mileage, costing less per mile and thus reducing 
the average. Fig. 3 shows how comparatively small was the percentage 
of increase of steam railroad mileage, but a very distinct increase is 
shown in investment per mile (Fig. 3 gives totals of roads in Massachu¬ 
setts, but includes mileage, etc., outside the State). 


458 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. Effect of Increased Earnings. —Figs. 4 and 5 show the earnings of 

street and steam roads in Massachusetts. Attention is also called to 
Table No. 16, giving comparative statistics of steam and electric roads, 
and also to Table No. 10, giving the percentage of increase or decrease 
in all items (curves) discussed and found in the various figures, 
between the years 1870 and 1890. We again see the constant increase 
in gross receipts, especially of the street railways (400% as against 
150% for freight and passengers of steam railroads, being 120% for 
passengers only, Fig. 7, Curve 4); and also the increase in interest and 
dividends on increased capitalization, some of which is not chargeable 
to increased mileage (also much larger for the electrics than for the 
steam). 

The gross traffic earnings per mile increased 25% on the steam and 
decreased 4% on the street roads; the latter is undoubtedly due to the 
relatively large increase in mileage; this curve, however, has a 
“ characteristic -|- sign ” which will be shown in future growth in the 
years to come. Curves 8 and 9 in both figures show the characteristic 
constant reduction in receipts per car-mile or train-mile, due to in¬ 
creased mileage giving better facilities and thereby increasing the 
traffic at a slightly lower rate, both as to numbers and fares; also reduc¬ 
tion in operating expenses per car-mile as the same increases. 

Effect of Increased Traffic. —Figs. 6 and 7 (see Table No. 10 also) 
again bring out the same characteristic comparisons as the previous 
figures, and, in addition, the following: Curve 10, Fig. 7, indicates that 
passengers are hauled a shorter distance, on the average, every year. 
Fig. 13 brings this out somewhat more clearly. In the Eastern States, 
which are more densely populated, the average distance is approxi¬ 
mately constant, but with a tendency to fall. In other words, the 
proportion of short-haul passengers to total passengers is rising as the 
population increases and the rides per inhabitant per annum increases. 

As the long-distance telephone system develops, its use will grow to 
such a point that it will no doubt have a decided effect on long-distance 
passenger traffic, if it has not already. This will increase the propor¬ 
tion of short hauls as compared with long hauls, and the passenger 
business of our steam railroads (or their partial development into 
electric railways) in the future, will be more and more largely that of 
suburban and interurban localities. The increase in total passengers 
carried was 308% on the steam railroads and 507% on the street rail¬ 
ways (see Table No. 16 for totals), while passenger-train-miles increased 
204% and 364% (car-miles) respectively. 

The receipts per passenger are constantly decreasing as the number 
of passengers increases, as shown by Curve 6 on each figure. The 
larger proportional increase in mileage of street railways has reversed 
the characteristic sign of Curve 4, Fig. 4 (receipts per mile of track), 
and Curve 9, Fig. 6 (number of passengers carried per mile of track), 


120 

t 110 

100 

90 

80 

CO* 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 459 


Mr. Davis. 











age 



per 





* • 




















• 













States. 

Average Miles -U.S. 

Traveled 
per Passenger. 
1885 to 1897. 

Haul 
per Ton. 

1885 to 1897 

New Engly 
Middle 
Central No 
South Atla 
Gulf and IV 
Southwest* 
Northwest* 
Pacific 

ind 

15.94 

18.49 

37.73 

39.70 

47.76 

48.99 

59.88 

31.29 

17.00 

19.20 

29.94 

37.53 
37.84 

52.53 
56.31 
28.38 

60 

92 

144 

108 

102 

132 

159 

162 

83 

103 

135 

142 

136 

189 

182 

214 


rtliern __ 

ntic ' - - 

lississippi Valley-_ 
?rn 

ern _ 



















_A verqg e 

_ Miles 

Traveled 

per 


ter — CJ .Si 









1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 


Fig. 13. 












































460 DISCUSSION" ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM EOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis, when compared with Curves 8 and 9, Fig. 7, showing the sam6 items 
on the steam railroads of Massachusetts. Records do not give the 
average miles traveled per passenger on street railways. Whether or 
not there is a temporary increase cannot be determined; but, that in 
the long run it tends to decrease, there is little room to doubt, although 
subject to some variation. 

Table No. 25 shows the increase in passengers carried per car-mile 
on street railways and the decrease per train-mile on steam railroads. 

TABLE No. 25. — Street and Steam Roads in Massachusetts. 


1870. 1890. 

Number of passengers carried per car-mile 

operated (Street Railways). 4.91 5.51 

Number of passengers carried per train-mile 

operated (Steam Railroads). 4.71 4.30 


This shows the increase in train-mileage of steam roads as com¬ 
pared with passengers carried, while the reverse is true of street rail¬ 
ways. 

Passenger rides per capita per annum and corresponding receipts per 
capita per annum have increased enormously on street railways when 
compared with steam railroads. The number of rides increases more 
rapidly than the receipts per capita; about twice as fast on steam rail¬ 
roads and 35% more on street railways, while the actual increase of 
the latter has been 204% and the former 100 per cent. In other words, 
the steam roads have been reducing fares to more nearly approach the 
low charges of street railways. 

These results show most clearly how the low fares (total cost per 
trip, not per mile) and “leave-at-your-door ” service of electric street 
railways have increased the passenger rides per annum and the 
number per car-mile so that low fares are profitable. In 1896, the rides 
per capita per annum were 116 for street railways and 44.5 for steam, 
while the receipts per capita per annum were $5.95 and $12.80, 
respectively, for Massachusetts. 

Effect of Future Growth. —Figs. 8 and 9 are only indications of what 
the future has in store for railroads and railway systems in Massachu¬ 
setts. The predictions have been plotted by taking two points on the 
street-railway curves corresponding to 1885 and 1895 and extending 
the straight line to 1910, while the points on steam-railroad curves 
were 1880 and 1890. 

Those curves which when extended give a result contrary to the 
“characteristic sign” have been thus marked. The number of these 
shows the indicative nature of the information and its lack of exact¬ 
ness, together with the importance of cross-references to “ character¬ 
istic signs” and other curves before arriving at a conclusion based on 
averages in any particular case. These curves might be called ‘ ‘ pro- 




DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM EOR RAILROADS. 461 


TABLE No. 26. —Ratios of Comparative Statistics of Steam Rail- Mr. Davis. 

ROADS AND STREET RAILWAYS. 


Ratio op Comparative Statistics, Table No. 16. 


a) 

-a 


1 

3 

2 

12 

6 


Items. 


Number of roads taken 

Length. 

Passengers carried. 

*• earnings_ 

Car-miles. 


p © 

& • 
53^3 
os a 

5-1 CO 

o’Sc 
Z a 
■gw . 
y . »o 
A ^ 

a © 6 
<J 


CO 

►» 

ce 

js 

3 

P o 


© 


© 


£32 

© 03 

©Eh 

w 


0.19 

0.26 

0.21 

0.21 

0.26 


'S CO 

s >» 

cs 03 

a £ 

P a3 
a 5 h . 


32 § 

rft 


o 

.© g © 

£ ©2 
© -g ce 

®.Sh 

W 


0.36 

0.46 

0.25 

0.26 

0.33 


Sh 9 to 
3^0 

'S'S^ 

S g s 

&-2h 

CO . 

«Siio 

3532 5 _, eo 
W 


0.55 

0.72 

0.47 

0.47 

0.60 


>» Tr 
.© a 

?H 1 /->! 
+* -2 
© o3 
©Eh 

W 


■g co 
™ c3 

a £ 
cS'a 
^ a 


a Jo 

.© a ® 

-5 

© ■g a 
©." E-i 

W 


1.82 

1.75 

1.23 

1.26 

1.23 


is 6 

S)*y 

£ © 
©32 
© c3 

■©h 

03 

O 

©S-d 
cs a 

t* c3 

gU 

cs a to 
©WS 
xn 


> o 

gf 

0.0 
co a 

cfi 


‘cs a 
a 

p "5b 

© ® 50 

aWi© 

Xfl 


1.18 

0.32 

3.96 

0.63 

0.53(a) 


5 

Passengers carried 
mile. 

per 

13 

Passengers carried per car- 
mile. . 

■26 

Passengers carried 
capita per annum... 

per 

8 

Passenger earnings 
mile. 

per 

9 

Passenger earnings 
car-mile. 

per 

11 

Passenger earnings 
passenger. 

per 

32 

Passenger earnings 
canita tier annum... 

per 

4 

Percentage of operating 
exnenses. 

19 

Operating expenses 
car-mile. 

per 

17 

Permanent investment per 
mile . 

18 

Capital investment 
mile... 

per 




1 

0.80 

0.55 

0.64 

1 

0.68 

1 

12.73 

1 

0.88 

0.86 

0.87 

1 

0.97 

1 

6.77 

1 id) 

0.85 (d) 

0.47 (d) 

0.80 (d) 

1 

0.55 (c) 

1 

3.96(6) 

1 

0.78 

0.56 

0.64 

1 

0.72 

1 

2.03 

1 

0.84 

0.88 

0.87 

1 

1.02 

1 

1.08(a) 

1 

0.97 

1.02 

0.99 

1 

1.05 

1 

0.16 

1 (d) 

0.84 (d) 

0.47 (d) 

0.80 (d) 

1 

0.57 (c) 


0.63(6) 

1 

1.03 

0.97 

1.00 

1 

0.94 

1 

0.89 

1 

0.85 

0.79 

0.84 

1 

0.93 

1 

0.87(a) 

l 

0.99 

0.76 

0.85 

1 

0.78 

1 


1 

0.90 

0.70 

0.77 

1 

0.76 

1 



(a) Estimated 5 cars per train on steam railroads. 

(b) Population served estimated to be the total in New England. 

(c) Population served estimated to be that given in Tables Nos. 28 and 29. 

(d) Population served estimated to be the total in New England for Column 1, and 
that given in Table No. 29 for Column 2; Table No. 28 for Column 3; and Tables Nos. 28 
and 29 for Column 4. 


jection ” rather than “prediction” curves; but, nevertheless, they 
indicate strongly the future, with its lower percentage of earnings on 
capital invested, lower cost of operation, greater percentage of operat- 
ing expenses and larger gross revenue coming from that enormous 
future growth in passenger traffic at low fares with electric propulsion. 

When the population and real wealth become fixed, then such 
growth will cease, but only then, and will fluctuate with prosperity, 
but this condition is far distant for the United States. 

Comparison of City and Suburban Railways .—Tables Nos. 3 and 4 
have been prepared in an attempt to make the discrimination between 











































































462 DISCUSSION" ON" ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis, roads “in towns” (urban) and “between towns ” (interurban). Some 
of those in either table may more properly belong in the other, but it 
is believed that the comparative results shown will be borne out in 
practice. 

Suburban roads have been placed in Table No. 3, where their 
characteristics conformed to the requirements of the table. Tables 
Nos. 6 and 7 give summaries of Tables Nos. 3 and 4. 

From these tables and from Table No. 16 has been calculated Table 
No. 26, giving ratios of statistics of steam and electric roads. The 
first five items (1, 3, 2, 12 and 6) show the relative number, length and 
capacity of roads, for these may affect the other items in the lower 
part of the table (5, 13, 26, 8, 9, 11, 32, 4, 19, 17 and 18). From this 
table we have Table No. 27, showing characteristic signs, when com¬ 
parison is made according to the notation at the top of each column. 

TABLE No. 27. 


Item. 


5. Passengers carried per mile. 

13. “ “ “ car-mile. 

26. “ “ “ capita per annum 

8. earnings “ mile. 

9. “ .“ “ car-mile. 

11. “ “ “ passenger. 

32. “ “ “ capita per annum 

4. Percentage of operating expenses. 

19. Operating expenses per car-mile. 

17. Permanent investment per mile. 

18. Capital “ “ “ .. 



The characteristics brought out by these figures are the enormous 
number of passenger trips per capita per annum, per mile of track and 
per car-mile, and the greater total number carried by the electric 
roads when compared with the steam railroads; also the larger 
earnings per mile of track and per car-mile on the electrics. The 
receipts per passenger per trip are only 16%, while the receipts per 
capita per annum are only 63% of the steam railroads. The steam 
road gets greater receipts per trip, but carries each passenger a longer 
distance, and has to run a disheartening number of cars or train-miles 
for the passengers carried. The difference is due to the short trips, 
high fare per passenger and car-mile, and the “ leave-at-your-door ” 




























DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 463 


service of electric roads, while each trip is delivered at an extremely Mr. Davis, 
low “ total cost ” to the passenger. 

Suburban and interurban railways carry fewer passengers per 
mile, per car-mile, and per capita per annum than city railways. They 
earn less per mile of track, more per car-mile and per passenger carried, 
and less per capita per annum. They operate at a lower percentage 
of gross receipts and about 1% less per car-mile (Table No. 7), while 
they cost 25% less. A comparison of such roads with steam railroads 
is a more accurate one than with city railways, but for obvious reasons 
it could not be made here. 

Effect of Population Served .—Tables Nos. 23, 28 and 29, show the ap¬ 
proximate population served by each road in Tables Nos. 3 and 4. In 
locating any new line, it is essential to know, as nearly as may be, the 
probable business which it will secure. Upon its amount, the cost of 
the line completed, and the probable operating expenses, will depend 
the profit of the undertaking. What other similar roads have done, 
is the criterion upon which we base all estimates, and the three prin¬ 
cipal units used are (1) revenue per head of population (number of 
trips per inhabitant per annum). (2) cost per mile, and (3) operating 
expenses per car-mile or train-mile. The first is that in which we are 
now interested. 

In determining the gross revenue per head of population, the usual 
method has been to divide the United States into arbitrary sections, 
such as the groups of States in Poor’s Manual (see Fig. 13), and by 
dividing the gross receipts by the inhabitants of each division deter¬ 
mine the average amount contributed by each individual. Of course, 
each person does not spend this amount, in fact, some do not contri¬ 
bute anything, while others expend many times the average amount 
each year. The passenger traffic on any road can be divided into the 
following general classes: 

1. Those who live adjacent to the line and are compelled to 

ride upon it. 

2. Those who are compelled to ride but who can take another 

line just as conveniently. 

3. Those who ride for pleasure. 

4. Those who come from a distant place by some other means 

of conveyance and then ride upon the line for any of the 

other three reasons. 

Those of the first class are by all odds the largest in volume, and 
as they are the most permanent, increasing or decreasing by known 
amounts in stated census periods, it would be the best possible basis for 
our figures of receipts per head of “population served.” The difficulty 
is to get at this “population served.” An attempt has been made in 
these tables, in order to show how receipts would vary according to 


464 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. 


TABLE No. 28.—Population Served by Roads in Table 


Name of Railway. 

Reference No. 

Fig. 16. Order according 

to population served, 

smallest being No. 1. 

© 

ctf 

S 

Population served. 

© 

E 

Population served. 

(1) 

(*) 

(3) 

(*») 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

Maine. 







Augusta, Hallo well & Gardiner... 

s 1 

19 

Augusta. 

10 527 

Hallo well. 

3 181 

Bangor, Orono & Old Town. 

S 2 

32 

Bangor. 

19 103 

Veazie. 

(a) 

Bidctef ord & Saco. 

s 3 

23 

Saco. 

6 075 

Biddeford . 

14 443 

Lewiston & Auburn. 

s 4 

41 

Lewiston. 

21 701 

Auburn. 

11 250 

Portland & Cape Elizabeth. 

s 5 

44 

Portland .. 

36 425 

South Portland. 

(a) 

Portsmouth, Kittery & York. 

s 6 

12 

Kittery. 

2 864 

York. 

2 444 

Rockland, Tliomastown & Cam- 







den. 


14 

Thomaston 

3 009 

Rockland. 

8 174 








Total and average. 







Connecticut. 

s 






Danbury & Bethel. 

. 8 

22 

Danbury . 

16 552 

Bethel. 

3 401 

Derby. 

S 9 

17 

Derby.'. 

5 969 

Birmingham .. 

2 000* 

Fair Haven & Westville. 

s 10 

55 

New r Haven. 

81 298 

Westville. 

(a) 

Hartford, Manchester & Rock- 






ville. 

s 11 

9 

Manchester 

8 222 

S. Manchester 

1 500* 

Hartford & West Hartford. 

s 12 

54 

Hartford. 

53 230 

W. Hartford. 

1 930 

Meriden Electric. 

s 13 

33 

Meriden. 

21 652 

Yalesville 

(a) 

Norwalk St. Ry. 

s 14 

27 

Norwalk 

17 747 

South Norwalk 

4 875 

Norwalk Tramway. 

s LS 

47 

Norwalk... 

17 747 

East Norwalk 

(a) 

Norwich. 

s 16 

16 

Norwich. 

16 156 

Taftville. 

(a) 

Torrington & Winchester. 

s 17 

2 

Torrington.... 

6 048 

Winsted .. 

(a) 

Bristol & Plainville. 

s 18 

6 

Bristol. 

7 382 

Plainville 

1 993 

Central Railway & Electric (New 







Britain). 

s 19 

18 

New Britain . 

16 519 

Berlin 

2 600 








Total and average. 







Massachusetts. 







Arlington & Winchester. 

s 20 

7 

Winchester. 

4 861 

Arlington. 

5 629 

Athol & Orange. 

8 21 

8 

Athol. 

6 319 

Orange 

4 568 

Braintree & Weymouth. 

8 22 

13 

Weymouth. 

10 866 

Braintree 

4 848 

Bridgewater, Whitman & Rock- 







land. 

s 23 

24 

Bri d gewat.e r 

4 249 

E. Bridgewater.. 

2 911 

Brockton, Bridgewater & Taun- 




ton. 

s 24 

53 

Brockton 

27 294 

Rridpewn.t.er 

4 249 

Brockton & East Bridgewater.... 

a 25 

40 

Brockton. 

27 294 

E. Bridgewater.. 

2 911 

Dartmouth & Westport. 

s 26 

59 

Fall River 

74 398 

New Bedford 

40 733 

Dighton, Somerset & Swansea_ 

s 27 

1 

Dighton. 

1 889 

Somerset... 

2 106 

Fitchburg & Leominster. 

s 28 

39 

Fitchburg. 

22 037 

Leominster 

7 269 

Gloucester, Essex & Beverly. 

S 2Q 

45 

Beverly. 

10 821 

Wenham 

(a) 

Greenfield & Turners Falls. 

s 30 

10 

Greenfield. 

5 252 

Montague,. 

6 296 

Haverhill & Amesbury. 

s 81 

50 

Haverhill. 

27 412 

M erri mack 

2 633 

Haverhill, Georgetown & Danvers 

s 32 

42 

Haverhill. 

27 412 

Bradford . 

3 720 


























































































































DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 465 


No. 3. Electric Suburban and Interurban Railways. 


Mr. Davis. 


Place. 

1 

Population served. 

Place. 

Population served. 

Place. 

Population served. 

Population served 

Passenger trips per capita 

per annum of popula¬ 

tion served. 

(8) 

(9) 

(10) 

(1*) 

(13) 

(13) 

(14) 

(15) 

Farmingdale. 

(a) 

Gardiner .. 

5 491 



19 699 

41 

Orono .~. 

2 790 

Old Town.. 

5 312 

Great Works.... 

(a) 

28 705 

42 

Old Orchard. 

(a) 





20 518 

11 






32 951 

35 

Cape Elizabeth. 

5 459 





42 384 

25 

Portsmouth (N. H.). 

9 827 





15 135 

53 

Rockport. 

(a) 

Camden... 

4 621 



16 304 

59 














175 676 

36 







19 953 

41 

Ansonia. 

10 342 





18 311 

38 

Montowese. 

(a) 

Hamden... 

3 882 

Fair Haven. 

(a) 

86 680 

56 

Manchester Center.. 

(a) 

Rockville.. 

1 000* 


11 222 

53 

Farmington. 

3 179 

Unionville. 

(a) 

Plainville. 

1 993 

60 832 

6 

Wallingford. 

6 584 




28 736 

50 

Winnipauk. 

(a) 





23 122 

32 

South Norwalk. 

4 875 

Westport.. 

3 715 

Stamford. 

15 700 

46 813 

16 

Yantic. 

(a) 

Thames- 








ville 

(a) 

Sunnyside. 

(a) 

18 156 

69 

Burrville. 

(a) 

Highland 








Lake 

(a) 



7 548 

65 

Forrestville. 

(a) 

Lake Com- 







pounce 

(a) 



10 375 

52 

Plainville Center.... 

(a) 

Newington 







Center 

(a) 



19 119 

74 







326 252 (6) 

43 (c) 







10 490 

31 







10 887 

55 







15 714 

63 

Whitman 

4 441 

Rockland.. 

5 213 

Abington. 

4 260 

21 074 

25 

W RridgA water 

1 917 

Raynham.. 

1 340 

Taunton. 

25 448 

60 248 

22 

W Rridgewater 

1 917 




32 122 

11 

Dartmouth 

3 122 

Westport.. 

2 599 



120 852 

4 

Swansea 

1 456 




5 451 

142 

T.nnenhnrg 

1 146 





30 452 

71 

Hamilton 

(a) 

Essex. 

1 713 

Ipswich. 

4 439 

42 624 

27 






11 548 

61 

Amesbury. 

9 798 

Salisbury.. 

1 316 

Newburyport... 

13 947 

55 106 

25 

Groveland. 

2 191 

George- 






• 


town 

2 117 



35 440 

13 
































































































466 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOE EAILEOADS. 


Mr. Davis. TABLE No. 28 ( Concluded ). — Population Served by Hoads in 


Name of Railway. 


( 1 ) 

Massachusetts {Continued ). 

Hingham. 

Hoosac Valley (North Adams).... 
Interstate Consolidated (R. I.)... 

Leominster & Clinton. 

Lowell, Lawrence & Haverhill.... 

Lowell & Suburban. 

Lynn & Boston,. 

Marlborough. 


o 

£ 


0 ) 

o 


0 ) 


ft 


0 ) 

o 


Ph 


(») 


(3) 


(4) 


s 33 
Is 34 
Is 35 

s 36 

s 37 
s 38 

s 3Q 


3 

37 

46 


Hingham. 

North Adams. 

Pawtucket (R. I.). 


20 

61 

56 

62 

38 


Leominster.. 

Lowell. 

TiOwell. 

Boston. 

Marlborough 


Millford, Hollister & Framing¬ 
ham . 

Natick & Cochi tuate. 


s 41 

s 42 


21 Milford 
28 Natick. 


Newburyport & Amesbury. 

Newton. 

Newton & Boston.I. 

Norfolk Central (Dedham). 

Norfolk Suburban (Hyde Park).. 

Northampton... 

North Woburn. 

Providence & Taunton. 

Quincy & Boston. 

Reading & Lowell. 

Rockland & Abington. 

Rockport. 

Southbridge & Sturbridge. 

South Middlesex (Natick). 

Taunton & Brockton. 

Wakefield & Stoneham. 

Warren, Brookfield & Spencer.... 


s 43 
s 44 
Is 45 
s 46 
Is 47 
s 48 
s 49 
s 50 
s 51 
s 52 
s 53 
s 54 
s 55 
s 56 
s 57 
s 58 
s 59 


31 

48 

51 
11 
43 

25 
36 
60 

49 

4 

29 

34 

5 

30 

52 

35 

26 


Newburyport. 

Newton. 

Newton. 

Dedham. 

Dedham. 

Northampton. 

Woburn. 

Providence (R. I.). 

Quincy. 

Reading. 

Abington. 

Gloucester. 

Southbridge. 

Natick. 

Brockton. 

Wakefield. 

Warren. 


Worcester & Blackstone Valley.. 

Worcester & Marlborough. 

Worcester & Suburban. 


s 60 
s 61 
s 62 


15 

58 

57 


Millbury.. 
Worcester. 
Worcester. 


Total and average. 

Grand total and average 


'd 


d 

> 


> 

U 


u 

0 

in 

XJ1 


a 


c 

0 

•rH 



c 8 


ts 

3 

ft 

d 

0 

a 

a 

ft 

E 

ft 

(5) 

( 6 ) 

(?) 

4 564 

E. Weymouth... 

(a) 

16 074 

Adams. 

9 213 

27 633 

Seekonk. 

1 317 

7 269 

Lancaster. 

2 201 

77 696 

Dracut. 

1 996 

77 696 

Billerica. 

2 380 

448 477 

Beverly. 

10 821 

13 805 

Hudson. 

4 670 

8 780 

Hopedale. 

1 176 

9 118 

Wa'yland. 

2 060 

13 947 

Amesbury. 

9 798 

24 379 

Waltham. 

18 707 

24 379 

Watertown. 

7 073 

7 123 

Norwood. 

3 733 

7 123 

Hyde Park. 

10 193 

14 990 

Easthampton ... 

4 395 

13 499 

Winchester. 

4 861 

132 146 

Taunton. 

25 448 

16 723 

Weymouth. 

10 866 

4 088 

Wilmington. 

1 213 

4 260 

Rockland. 

5 213 

24 651 

Rockport. 

4 087 

7 655 

Sturbridge. 

2 074 

9 118 

Sherborn. 

1 381 

27 294 

Taunton. 

25 448 

6 982 

Stoneham. 

6 155 

4 681 

W. Warren. 

(a) 

4 428 

Sutton. 

3 180 

84 655 

Shrewsbury. 

1 449 

84 655 

Millbury. 

4 428 











s 2 . Also— 


S 37 . Also— 


s 39 . Also— 


Stillwater. 

(a) 

Haverhill. 

27 412 

Lynn. 

. 55 727 



Groveland. 

2 191 

Malden. 

. 23 031 

s 15 . Also— 


W. Newbury.. 

1 769 

Marblehead... 

. 8 202 

Roton Point... 

(a) 

Newburyport . 

13 947 

Melrose. 

. 8 519 

Rowayton'. 

(a) 

N. Andover_ 

3 742 

Peabody. 

10 158 

Darien. 

2 276 



Revere. 

. 5 668 

Noroton. 

(a) 


49 061 

Salem. 

. 30 801 

D orlon’s Point. 

(a) 

s 38 . Also— 


Saugfts. 

. 3 673 



Tewksbury.... 

2 515 

Stoneham.... 

. 6 155 


4 276 



Swampscott.. 

. 3 198 

s 29 . Also— 




Wenham. 

(a) 

Gloucester .... 

24 651 



Woburn. 

. 13 499 





Hamilton. 

(a) 






169 631 










































































































































DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 467 


Table No. 3. Electric Suburban and Interurban Railways. 


Mr. Davis. 


0> 

0 

03 

s 

Population served. 

Place. 

Population served. 

Place. 

Population served. 

Population served. 

Passenger trips per capita 

per annum or popula¬ 
tion served. 

(8) 

(9) 

(10) 

('1) 

(13) 

(13) 

(ii) 

(15) 

N. Weymouth. 

(a) 

4 221 

Hull. 

2 000* 



7 564 

119 

WilliamsLown. 




29 508 

52 

Attleborough. 

7 577 

N. Attle- 






borough 

6 727 

Wrentham. 

2 566 

45 820 

56 

Clinton. 

10 424 



19 894 

43 

Methuen. 

4 814 

Lawrence . 

44 654 

Andover. 

6 142 

184 363 

48 

Chelmsford. 

2 695 

Dracut .... 

1 996 

Tyngsborough .. 
Everett. 

(a) 

11 068 

87 782 

87 

Chelsea. 

27 909 

Danvers... 

7 454 

675 360 

43 

Southborough. 

2 114 

Framing¬ 

ham 





9 239 



29 828 

25 

Holliston. 

2 619 

Ashland.... 

2 532 

S. Framingham. 

(a) 

19 926 

83 

Wellesley. 

3 600 

Framing¬ 

ham 




9 239 



24 017 

45 

Merrimac . 

2 633 

Newbury.. 

1 427 



27 805 

40 

Watertown 

7 073 



50 159 

36 

Needham . 

3 035 

Boston ( 75 V) 

22 423 



56 910 

19 

Walpole . 

2 604 



13 460 

52 

Boston (Aj) • 

22 423 





39 739 

48 

Williamsburg 

2 057 





21 442 

84 

Medford.. 

11 079 





29 439 

27 






157 594 

4 

Milton , 

4 278 

Boston (^ 5 ) 

22 423 



54 290 

49 

Billerica. 

2 380 



7 681 

43 

Weymouth 

10 866 

Whitman.. 

4 441 



24 780 

61 




28 738 

19 







9 729 

56 

Framingham. . 

9 239 

Ashland.... 

2 532 

Hopkinton. 

4 088 

26 358 

43 

Fasten 

4 493 

Raynham . 
Saugus.... 
W. Brook- 

1 340 



58 575 

16 

Beading. 

4 088 

3 673 

Melrose. 

8 519 

29 417 

38 

Brookfield. 

3 352 






Grafton. . 

5 002 

field 

North- 

(a) 

N. Brookfield_ 

3 871 

21 651 

44 


bridge 

West- 

4 603 



17 213 

16 

N orthborough. 

1 952 




11 

32 


3 120 

borough 
Spencer... 

5 195 

8 747 

Marlborough.... 

13 805 

107 056 

100 950 












1 827 517 (d) 

49 







2 352 765 

43 








=== 


s 41 . Also— 

Bellingham.... 1 334 
Medway. 2 985 


S 59 . Also— 

Spencer 


4 319 
8 747 


* Estimated. 

(а) Where populations are omitted, the census made no return; 

for approximation 500 inhabitants are assumed in each 
CclSG 

(б) This total is 24 615 less than the column foots up, due to 

repetition of several cities in the table. 

(c) If s 12 were omitted, this average would be 51. 

(d) This total is 631 546 less than the column foots up, due to 

repetition of several cities in the table. 














































































































468 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS 


Mr. Davis. TABLE No. 29 .—Population Served by Roads 


Name of Railway. 

Reference No. 

Order according 

to population 

served, smallest 

being No. 1 

(Fig. 17) 

Place. 

Population 

served. 

Place. 

Maine. 






Bangor St. Ry. 

C 1 

15 

Bangor. 

19 103 

Brewer. 

Ttath ftt, 'Rv 

C 2 

3 

Rath. 

8 723 


Calais St. Ry . 

C 3 

6 

Calais. 

7 290 

St. Stephens (N.B). 

Portland R. R. 

C 4 

25 

Portland. 

36 425 

Deering. 

Total and average. 






• • • 





Connecticut. 






Bridgeport Traction. 

C 5 

27 

Bridgeport.. 

48 866 

Southport. 

Hartford St. Ry. 

C 6 

33 

Hartford. ... 

53 230 

Withersfield. 

Middletown St Rv 

C 7 

8 

Middletown . 

9 013 

Portland. 

New Haven St. Ry. 

C 8 

31 

New Haven.. 

81 298 

East Haven. 

New London St. Ry. 

C 9 

9 

New London 

13 757 

Ocean Beach. 


c 10 

10 

Stamford.... 

15 700 


Winchester Ave. (N. Haven)— 

C 11 

34 

New Haven . 

81 298 

Savin Rock. 

Waterbury Traction. 

(712 

22 

Waterbury .. 

28 648 

Waterville. 







Massachusetts. 






Boston Elevated 

C 11 

35 

Roston. 

448 477 

Cambridge. 

Braintree 

w 1 O 

C 14 

20 

Braintree.... 

4 848 

Quincy. 

Rrockton. 

C 1 s 

26 

Brock ten.... 

27 294 

Whitman. 

Commonwealth Ave. (Newton). 

<716 

17 

Newton. 

24 379 


Era.mingha.m TTnion 

Cl? 

5 

Framingham 

9 239 


ttardner Electric,, 

C18 

2 

Gardner. 

8 424 


Globo (Ea.ll River) 

C19 

30 

Eall River.. . 

74 398 


Gloucester .. 

C20 

18 

Gloucester .. 

24 651 


Holvoke . 

(721 

29 

Holyoke. 

35 637 

Chicopee. 

Pittsfield Electric . 

C'22 

13 

Pittsfield .... 

17 281 

Dalton. 

Plymouth & Kingston .. 

C23 

4 

Plymouth ... 

7 314 

Kingston. 

Springfield. 

C24 

28 

Springfield .. 

44 179 

W. Springfield.... 

Taunton. 

C25 

19 

Taunton . 

25 448 


Union (New- Bedford). 

C26 

24 

New Bedford 

40 733 

Fairhaven. 

Wellesley & Boston. 

C27 

16 

Newton. 

24 379 


West Roxbury & Roslindale.... 

C28 

21 

Boston (.sV) • • 

22 423 

Dedham. 

Worcester Consolidated. 

C29 

32 

Worcester... 

84 655 


Woronoco. 

C30 

7 

Westfield.... 

9 805 








Total and average. 






“ “ (C 13 omitted) 






New Hampshire. 






Union St. Ry. 

C31 

12 

Dover. 

12 790 

Somersworth .... 

Nashua St. Ry. 

C32 

14 

Nashua.. 

19 311 

Hudson. 

Concord St. Ry. 

033 

11 

Concorde 

17 004 


Manchester St. Ry. 

C34 

23 

Manchester 

44 126 


Laconia St. Ry... 

C35 

1 

Laconia. 

6 143 



Total and average. 

Grand total and average (C 13 omitted) 


C 5 . Also East Bridgeport_ 

C 6 . Also East Windsor. 

Hockanum. 

N. Glastonbury ( 

S. Glastonbury) ’ • • 

Burnside. 

Newington. 

New Britain. 

S. Windsor. 

E. Hartford. 


(a) 

C 8 . 

Also Centerville.. 

( 0 ) 

2 890 

C 11 . 

Also Milford. 

3 811 

(a) 

3 457 


Orange.. 

4 537 

8 348 

(a) 

(a) 

16 519 

c 13 . 

Also Newton. 

24 379 

Somerville. 

40 152 

1 736 


Arlington.. 

5 629 

4 455 


Brookline. 

12 103 


Watertown. 

7 073 

30 557 


Medford. 

Malden. 

11 079 
23 031 


123 446 






























































































































































DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 469 
in Table No. 4. Electbic City Railways. Mr. Davis. 


Population 

served. 

Place. 

Population 

served. 

Place. 

Population 

served. 

Population 

served.. 

Passenger trips per 

capita per annum 

of population 

served. 

4 193 





23 296 

8 723 

9 790 

48 410 

65 

51 

49 

112 





2 000? 
5 353 

Hilltown (N. B.) .... 
Westbrook. 

(a) 

6 632 











90 219 

57 449 

90 942 

13 700 

83 298 

14 257 

15 700 

91 146 

35 366 

87 

71 

98 

29 

37 

46 

39 

48 

71 

(«) 

2 271 

4 687 
(a) 
(a) 

Westport. 

Windsor . 

3 715 

2 954 

Fairfield. 

W. Hartford... 

3 868 

1 930 

Morris Cove. 

(a) 

Westville. 

(a) 





(a) 

(a) 

City Point. 

Naugatuck. 

(a) 

6 218 

W. Haven. 

(a) 









401 858 

680 928 

27 991 

48 884 

24 379 

9 239 

8 424 

74 398. 

24 651 

68 938 

20 ' 166 

8 973 

65 489 

25 448 

46 774 

24 379 

29 546 

84 655 

9 805 

61 

266 

34 

139 

59 

68 

40 

89 

55 

61 

65 

77 

177 

44 

80 

29 

49 

125 

48 

70 028 
16 723 

4 441 

Chelsea. 

Randolph. 

Stoughton. 

27 909 

3 946 

4 852 

Everett. 

Holbrook. 

Holbrook. 

11 068 

2 474 

2 474 





















14 050 

2 885 

1 659 

5 077 

Northampton. 

14 990 

S. Hadiey. 

4 261 





Chicopee. 

14 050 

Longmeadow.. 

2 183 

2 919 

Dartmouth. 

3 122 






7 123 
























1 215 794 (6) 
581 668 (c) 

18 997 

20 403 

17 004 

44 126 

6 143 

193 

93 (d 

31 

46 

57 

74 

37 






6 207 

1 092 





























106 673 

1 180 418 

56 

78 




C 15 . Also Easton. 4 498 

Randolph. 3 946 

Avon. 1 384 


9 823 

(а) Where populations are omitted, the census made no return; for approximation, 500 

inhabitants are assumed in each case. ... 

( б ) This total is 67 272 less than the column foots up, due to repetition of several cities 111 

the table. 

(c) Population served, omitting C 13. 

(d) Rides per capita per annum of population served, omitting C 13. 




















































































































470 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis, the basis of estimates, and how much care must be taken not to be led 
astray in any given case. If we assume that the steam roads of the New 
England States serve the entire population, we get gross receipts per 
head, equal to $7.32, and they undoubtedly do serve this population, 
but if we were about to build the Boston and Albany Railroad (assuming 
it did not exist), could we properly use this figure, multiply by the 
total population and say that would be the probable receipts; or 
should we take the population within the limits of division (1) 
“those who live adjacent to the line and are compelled to ride upon 
it ” and multiply by some higher figure, determined from other simi¬ 
lar cases? The latter appeals to one as likely to produce much more 
accurate results. Table No. 16 gives the various amounts per head 
per annum for various assumed “populations served,” from urban 
communities having, according to the United States census, popula¬ 
tions of 8 000 and upward, to and including towns of 1 000 and 
upward. These divisions of population are not advanced as the 
proper ones, for they are not, but to bring out clearly what has been 
said before. 

Turning to Tables Nos. 28 and 29, we see great fluctuations in the 
rides per capita j3er annum; this is partly due to many causes, such 
as population, density, distribution, etc., etc., but also due to inac¬ 
curacies in determining “ population served.” Erom the tables it is 
seen that the entire populations of towns are repeated for several roads 
and are considered as being served by and serving these roads; this is 
. necessary unless we can divide the territory, which would be most 
difficult. If, however, it were done, and it can be, the results would 
be most interesting and instructive. By the divisions we have made, 
it is shown clearly that suburban and interurban roads either do not 
serve as great a population as the aggregate of those forming their 
terminals and through which they pass, or else the receipts per capita 
per annum are less from those they do serve. As a matter of fact both 
propositions are probably true. Our average of 78 in Table No. 29 
would have been increased materially had road C 13 (Boston Elevated) 
been included with its 266 rides per capita per annum, but the result 
would not have been as accurate for application to other problems. 

Effect of Competition .—One often hears of the competition which elec¬ 
tric parallels have brought to our steam-railroad systems. This has been 
exaggerated greatly, for most of the traffic of electric railways did not 
exist until created by low “total cost ” and frequent and quick service, 
although, in certain isolated cases, the building of electric parallels has 
temporarily drawn away traffic from steam railroads, only to be re¬ 
covered as the total volume naturally increased. This fluctuation and 
recovery in traffic, on parallels which changed motive powers, has been 
shown clearly in the building of elevated and street railways in New 
York City. The Third Avenue Elevated so decreased the traffic on 


DISCUSSION" ON" ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 471 

the horse surface road as to cause alarm to the stockholders; the con- Mr. Davis, 
version of the horse railway to a cable road decreased the travel on 
the elevated, which was subsequently more than recovered. 

Fig. 14 gives a good example of the decrease in traffic on the Man¬ 
hattan Elevated Railway in New York City, operated by steam loco¬ 
motives, due to the increase in speed and frequency of service on the 
Metropolitan Street Railway in its changes from horse traction to cable 
and electric. The loss on the elevated road from 1893 to 1897 was 
approximately 40 000 000 passengers—part of which was due to the 
financial depression throughout the United States, as indicated by the 
“ dip ” in all curves on Fig. 15; how much this amounts to it is impos¬ 
sible to determine and most difficult to estimate, but an approximation 
can be made from the retardation of increase shown in the curve on 
Fig. 15, giving passenger trips on all electric roads in Massachu¬ 
setts. Projecting the curve by connecting 1893 with 1897 it would 
indicate a natural proportional increase in 1894 of 17 000 000 more 
passengers than actually took place, which represents approximately 



the retardation due to the financial depression, or about 1.1% of the 
total traffic. If we assume the same loss, from the same cause, on the 
elevated railways, about 17 000 000 of the above 40 000 000 loss is 
accounted for by the industrial depression, leaving 23 000 000 loss due 
to competition. During the same period the Metropolitan Street Rail¬ 
way gained about 110 000 000 passengers, or nearly five times as many 
as the elevated roads lost. The mileage of both roads remained con¬ 
stant, or nearly so, as in the Metropolitan curve are included, for the 
years taken, all roads now owned or operated by this company. These 
years also cover the change in motive power of this system. This in¬ 
crease in traffic on the street railways of New York undoubtedly comes 
largely from increase in speed, better physical conditions, such as 
track, cars, lighting, heating, cleanliness, open cars, etc., etc. 

The elevated railways are operated under the same general condi¬ 
tions as exist on street railways, although the units are heavier, but 
they are very frequent; of course, they have the disadvantage of being 
















472 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. TABLE No. 30.—Effect of Competing Electric Interurban 

Parallels to Steam Railroads. 


Localities Connected. 

Loss due to trolley 
parallels, as claimed 

by V. P. Hall of N. 

Y..N. H. & H. R. R., 

before Railroad 

Committee, State 

Legislature of Con¬ 
necticut (a). 

Approximate distance 

in miles from Rail¬ 

road Commission Map. 

Trips per day as given 

by time table of N. 

Y., N. H. & H. R. R. 

Trips per day of trol¬ 

ley roads. 

Number of passengers 

carried by Electric 

Railway System in 

and between these 

towns, part of which 

traveled between 

them (1894). 

Norwalk—Rowayton. 

50% 

4.75 

27 

84 

956 241 

Bridgeport—Stratford. 

$35 per day. 

3.00 

36 

84! 

a fiKQ 322 /'■p'cf \ 

Bridgeport—Southport. 

80% 

5.50 

28 

63 f 

T UUtF KJUH (lliOl. / 

W aterbury—N augatuck. 

00% 

6.00 

13 

69 

2 624 421 

Wallingford—Meriden. 

00% 

5.50 

17 

30 

2 001 347 

Birmingham—Ansonia. 

00% 

3.00 

16 

112 

1 033 977 

Winnepauk—S. Norwalk. 

(6) 50^ 

3.00 

.... 

.... 

1 090 263 






12 365 571 


(а) Total loss to N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. from all parallel trolley roads in the State 
of Connecticut = $4 000 per month = $48 000 per annum, or of 1% loss on total pas¬ 
senger income of $12 971 000 in 1894, as shown by Railroad Commission Reports. 

(б) 64 passengers were carried on N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. in the month of December. 
1893, and 9 in the same month of 1894, or a total loss of 780 passengers per annum, at a 
possible maximum of 15 cents = $117. 

confined to what might be called “trunk” lines without feeders. 
These frequent units are now operated by steam locomotives, but a 
change to electric motors is about to take place. This change is not 
warranted by any decrease in operating expenses which will take 
place, either actual or sufficient to offset the interest on the additional 
investment, although in the first years of electric operation figures 
will no doubt be produced which will appear to indicate such a result, 
as in two cases already cited. Nevertheless, the change, if made, will 
be a profitable one from the natural and induced increase in the traffic 
of the future, just as the large investments of our steam railroads in 
improved terminals, track, rolling stock and stations have been justi¬ 
fied. Similar results will be the inducements for a change of operative 
methods on parts of our steam railroad systems, which change neces¬ 
sitates a change in motive power. 

Table No. 30 has been prepared from a speech by Mr. Edwin B. 
Gager before the Railroad Committee of the State Legislature at 
Hartford, Conn., March 22d, 1895. * For many years bitter warfare has 
been waged against interurban electric railways by the Consolidated 
System (New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company) 
resulting in the electric parallel law, where “ public convenience and 
necessity ” must be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Superior 

* Those who are interested can obtain a reprint of Mr. Gager’s speech bv addressing 
him at Derby, Conn. ^ 






























DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 473 



Mr. Davis 



































474 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. Court, before an electric railway can be built between two points 
already connected by a steam railroad. More unwise legislation 
against a natural progress, which would also benefit those whose influ¬ 
ence created it, can scarcely be imagined. It is fair to assume that in 
this controversy—for the street railways naturally opposed such legis¬ 
lation—both sides produced the strongest arguments in support of 
their respective contentions; the Consolidated presenting losses of 
traffic, while the street railways insisted that their j)assenger travel 
was mostly an induced one, which did not and could not exist under 
steam-railroad conditions and operative methods. 

An examination of Table No. 30 shows conclusively how the steam 
railroads convicted themselves. The Consolidated System only claimed 
a total loss of $4 000 per month, or $48 000 per annum on the entire 
system, being about £ of 1% of their gross passenger revenue. If 
the average fare were 10 cents, this would mean a total loss of 480 000 
passengers per annum out of a total of 44 448 324, or 1.1%; but 1894 
was the year of financial depression, when the steam railroads of 
Massachusetts lost 8.3% of their former passenger traffic, so that only 
part of this loss on the Consolidated was due to trolley parallels. 
While the total loss to the Consolidated was given by its officers, all 
the towns between which it occurred were not stated, so that in Table 
No. 30 the 12 365 571 passenger trips, between and in a few of these 
towns, is only part of the total passenger traffic of the street railways 
serving all localities where such loss took place. Whether this figure 
should be increased by 50 to 100%, or more, we cannot say, but, in 
any case, the data are sufficient to show the large induced traffic of 
street railways; or, in other words, systems which give low fares, 
frequent service, short total time consumed in round trip and a “ leave- 
at-your-door ” service. 

• To emphasize the fact of what might be called a “ dormant traffic,” 
which can become an “induced traffic ” under proper operative condi¬ 
tions, and to bring out this fact more clearly, Fig. 15 and Table 
No. 31 have been prepared, and these again show what a small part of 
the traffic of street railways has come from the losses of steam 
railroads, and also, that a large part of this loss has been wrongly 
attributed to electric parallel competition. 

The passenger traffic on steam railroads in Massachusetts has 
increased constantly from year to year since 1870, except during two 
periods, both of which coincide with industrial depressions; this is 
shown by Curve 2, Fig. 7, where the loss began in 1873 and 1893. 
Short-haul passenger traffic is but little affected by financial condi¬ 
tions, when compared with the effect on long-haul traffic; this is due 
mainly to necessity being the basis of short-haul passenger business, 
or, in other words, it is composed mostly of commuters or suburban 
and interurban travel. Curve 2, Fig. 6, corroborates this position, 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 475 


for we see that the passenger trips on street railways (short hauls, Mr. Davis, 
from necessity, as the controlling factors in volume of traffic on these 
systems), increased after 1874 and 1893, although less rapidly than in 
the year previous, but there was no actual decrease. This curve brings 
out another interesting fact, namely, the quicker recovery of electric 
roads and their more rapid increase in passenger traffic than when 
operated by horse-power, again supporting our position. In Massa¬ 
chusetts, electric railway mileage has increased along with the pass¬ 
enger traffic (1889 to 1898) 168% in the former to 123% in the latter, 
or, approximately, each has kept pace with the other. In other words, 
these railways have been built where traffic did not previously exist, 
nor could it be produced by the steam railroads under existing con¬ 
ditions; it has been ‘induced by the character of the electric roads 
and their operative methods. Steam railroad mileage has only increased 
10% in Massachusetts during the same period, and passenger traffic 
9.6% (net). 


TABLE No. 31. —Comparative Loss on Steam Railroads and Gain 
on Electric Railways—Massachusetts. —(See Fig. 15). 


Year. 

Loss in passenger trips per 
annum* on all steam rail¬ 
roads in Massachusetts. 

Loss in passenger trips per 
annum on steam railroads 
in and out of Boston. 

Loss in passenger trips per 
annum on steam railroads 
in Massachusetts omitting 
those in and out of Boston. 
Column 2 minus Column 3. 

Gain in passenger trips per 
annum on all street rail¬ 
ways in Massachusetts. 

Amounts in Column 5 di¬ 
vided by those in Column 2. 

Gain in passenger trips per 
annum on West End Street 
Railway system in and out 
of Boston. 

Amounts in Column 7 divided 
by those in Column 3. 

(1) 

1889 to 1893.... 

(2) 

(26 250 6481 
( Increase) 

(3) 

(11 406 434) 

( Increase) 

(±1 

( 14 844 214) 

( Increase ) 

(5) 

| (65 362 606) 

( Increase) 

(6) 

2.4 

(7) 

29 620 468 

a 

1894. 

10 345 763 

3 824 940 

6 520 823 

6 912 090 

0.65 

24.9 

3 164 831 

6.8 

24.5 

1895. 

1 577 836 

740 680 

837 156 

39 330 209 

18 203 057 

1896 (Increase) 
1897,.. 

8 885 161 

3 808 480 

5 076 681 

16 325 281 

1.8 

27.6 

5 692 225 

1.4 

12.1 

1898. 

803 168 

723 748 

79 420 

22 205 405 

8766 782 

1896(Increase) 

21 611 928 

9 097 848 

12 514 080 





3 772 703 

1 483 774 

2 288 929 

32 564 635 

8.6 

11 630 782 

7.8 

Net decrease 1 
1894 to 1898. | 

17 839 225 

7 614 074 

10 225 151 

117 327 620 

1 

6.5 

47 457 677 

6.2 


Turning to Table No. 31 and Fig. 15, we see that the net loss of 
passenger traffic on all the steam railroads of Massachusetts, from 
1893 to 1898, was 17 839 225; but during the same years the street 
railways increased 117 327 620, or 6.5 times the loss of the steam 
railroads. If 7.7% of the traffic was lost, due to financial conditions (as 
estimated heretofore), then only 8 600 000 passenger trips were lost to 















































476 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM EOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis, the steam roads of the State from trolley competition. If the average fare 
lost was 10 cents (when secured by the street railway the fare would be 
halved or even less for them), the total amounted to $860 000;or 2.4% on 
the gross passenger earnings and 1. 1% on the gross earnings of the steam 
railroads; this would only amount to about 1% of the total net earnings. 
Again, the net loss to steam railroads in and out of Boston, from 1898 
to 1898, was 7 614 074, while the West End Street Railway (controlling 
practically all street railways in and out of Boston), increased 47 457 677 
or 6.2 times the loss of the steam roads. Applying the same argu¬ 
ment, only 3 225 000 passengers were lost by the steam roads in and 
out of Boston, due to this competition. This would not be fair, how¬ 
ever, for this traffic is made up more largely of commuters than long- 
haul passengers. Assume it at 5 000 000, which is undoubtedly too 
high, and with an average commutation rate of 7 cents, the loss is only 
$350 000 at the maximum. Furthermore, the greatest gains of the street 
railways throughout the State, and the West End Street Railway alone, 
were in 1895 and 1898, when the steam roads lost the least. All these 
data point to the conclusion, already stated, that competition does not 
take place to the extent usually believed; while an “ induced ” traffic 
is created by the low fares, frequent, quick and “ leave-at-your-door 
service, rendered possible by the physical characteristics and operative 
methods of the electric roads. 

Fig. 16 is from Table No. 28. Populations are arranged in the 
order of magnitude as abscissas, beginning with the smallest served, 
while the passengers per capita per annum are ordinates. The result¬ 
ing curve shows no well-defined law. 

Fig. 17 is the same from Table No. 29, and indicates plainly that as 
populations increase, the rides per capita per annum also increase. 

Fig. 18 is made from towns arranged in the order of their density of 
population. The curve shows no well-defined law. 

The determination of the desirability or undesirability of substitu¬ 
ting electric traction for steam on parts of some American railroad 
systems is a matter of constantly increasing importance; on many pro¬ 
jected lines the question whether steam or electricity shall be used is 
a problem which must now be solved, although in the past there was 
no question as to which should be adopted. We will probably see 
during the next ten years a large increase in the substitution of elec¬ 
tricity for steam on railroads. This change is foreshadowed by the 
present electrical equipment of elevated railways in Chicago; by the 
overhead-trolley and third-rail experiments of the New York, New 
Haven & Hartford Railroad Company; by the operation of several 
branch lines of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company with electric 
motors; and by the present active discussions, among steam-railroad 
engineers and managers, of the details of first cost, operating expenses, 
and methods of electric traction. 


Order of Magnitude 

According to Population served by Railways in Table No.2$, 
Fig, 16. 


DISCUSSION" ON" ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 477 


Passenger Trips per Capita per Annum. 


Mr. Davis. 


1 


+ 



































478 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis. If a change is contemplated, steam-railroad managers must avoid 
making the mistake which took place in the change from horse trac¬ 
tion to electric traction—namely, of trying to reduce the first cost of 
changing by the use of old methods, material, and equipment, which, 
although entirely suited to the old system, proved most unsatisfactory 
under the new conditions. The old equipment partly made over will 
not do. There must be new trucks, and new and lighter car bodies, 
hung lower for greater ease of entrance and departure. Old methods of 
operation must be discarded and new ones substituted. A change of 
system may necessitate additional tracks, which should be provided 
even at large cost. The nearer the approach to the “ leave-at-your- 
door” service, the greater the success. 

Let us consider some examples where it is probable that electricity 
could be substituted with profit, remembering that more thorough 
investigation might show, in this or that case, that the change is 
undesirable. 

Suburban service of the Pennsylvania Bailroad, out of Philadel¬ 
phia, as follows: 


P., W. & B. 

Main Line 

Germantown & Chestnut Hill 
Beading 

U. B. Bs. of N. J. 

West Chester 


Division to Wilmington. 

“ “ Paoli. 

“ “ Chestnut Hill 

“ “ Norristown. 

“ “ Tacony. 

“ “ West Chester. 


By the use of multiphase currents and rotary-transformer sub¬ 
stations, power houses could be located along the Delaware and 
Schuylkill rivers; from these sub-stations direct current at 500 volts 
could be fed into the trolley or third-rail line. The equipment 
should be entirely new; cars of the same seating capacity, but lower 
and of lighter construction, should be used; the bridge over the 
Schuylkill Biver into Broad Street Station should be widened by four 
additional tracks; main line and U. B. Bs. of N. J., by two tracks, 
each; P. W. & B. should have a total of four tracks; Germantown & 
Chestnut Hill, Beading, and West Chester should each have a total of 
three tracks; all tracks should be equipped electrically, although 
some of them w'ould be used by steam locomotives hauling freight 
and through passenger trains, and some or all, at times, by both 
systems. Two tracks should be laid in the street from Broad Street 
Station to the Schuylkill Bridge coming to railroad grade at. that 
point; the cars running over these tracks should operate from the 
Delaware Biver out Market Street, by trackage arrangement with the 
street railway or by special franchise, the street being wide enough 
for four tracks; they should be run as any street-railway line is run 
to-day, and continue out on the extra tracks, provided above, as far 


360 

340 

330 

300 

180 

160 

140 

JL30 

100 

80 

60 

40 

30 


OK ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOE KAILEOADS. 479 


Mr. Davis. 




Electri 

: City R 

VILWAYS. 





Traf: 

?TC AS AF 

FECTED I 

Y POPUL 

\TION. 
























1 






































1 

1 
















Average 


1 



1 









1 








n 



5 10 15 30 35 30 35 

Order of Magnitude 

According to Population served by Railways in Table No.29. 


Fig. 17. 



































480 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis, as circumstances might warrant, and should be extended as travel 
required; right-of-way should be prepared, so that passengers could 
leave or enter these cars at any point along the line. Local stations 
should be provided, in some cases much closer than at present, at 
which passengers, on the cars mentioned above, could change to elec¬ 
tric cars stopping only at said stations, or to express electric trains 
stopping at fewer points, all being done by the payment of a single 
fare. It will be seen that this is a combination of the street railway 
on the outside tracks with the local and express service of a steam 
road on the inside tracks, while the through locomotive trains operate 
on the middle tracks. The proposition is a radical one, is advanced 
as such, and will bear close investigation and study; the expense 
would be enormous, but the gross receipts from such a system of 
street railways, accumulating passengers for the rapid-transit system 
connected so intimately with it, would also be enormous—in fact, the 
writer believes, far in excess of anything yet accomplished in the 
transportation of passengers. 

The same treatment of the following terminals, with modifications 
to suit each case, would be worth studying: 

New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, out of Boston. 

Boston and Maine, out of Boston. 

Philadelphia and Reading, out of Philadelphia. 

Harlem, New York Central and Hudson River, and New York, 
New Haven and Hartford Railroad Companies, out of New 
York City. 

Central Railroad Company of New Jersey, out of Jersey City. 

Illinois Central Railroad, out of Chicago, etc., etc. 

The above is, of course, only a suggestion of details. 

As an example of interurban traffic, we can take Ansonia and New 
Haven, Conn. When the steam railroad owns the systems of street 
railways in both towns, their cars will pick up passengers at either 
center, will pass onto the present steam tracks on the right-of-way of 
the New Haven and Derby Railroad (New York, New Haven and Hart¬ 
ford Railroad Company), run at high speed without stops to the other 
center, pass onto the local street railway tracks there and distribute 
its passengers where they desire, all for one fare. Such a system 
operated by electric motors would be a financial success, where a line 
like the third-rail between Hartford and New Britain is a failure in the 
true sense. Many other similar examples might be given, bpt this 
indicates the future of our steam railroads. 

It must not be inferred that all or any of the cases suggested above, 
if thoroughly investigated, would prove the expense warranted, 
especially that of laying additional tracks. It is, however, the writer’s 
judgment that in most cases additional tracks would be necessary to 


DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 481 


make the system profitable and able to handle the “induced” traffic. Mr. Davis. 
Emphasis must be placed upon the importance of radical changes in 
present steam-railroad methods to make the change to electricity pay. 

Electric traction in connection with existing tracks and equipment, and 
under existing operative methods, will result in heavy loss and ultimate 
abandonment of the change—possibly even in disaster. 



0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 

Order of Magnitude 


+ According to Density of Population served. — 

Fig. 18.* 

The argument has thus far been confined, for reasons stated, to 
suburban and interurban short hauls, and the writer feels convinced 
from his investigation of the subject that the adoption of electricity 
as a mode of operation, with the additional change to the prevailing 

* The data for the diagram. Fig. 18, are taken from Table No 39 of Facts ancl 
Figures Interesting to Electric Railway Men ” (3d edition), published by the writer. 














































































482 DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY VS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


Mr. Davis, methods of our present street railways giving nearly the same class of 
service (combined or not with steam locomotives as the case may 
require), will result to the steam roads in an enormous increase of 
the total passengers carried, passengers per car-mile and rate received 
per mile, and will shorten the length each passenger is hauled; and, by 
thus increasing the gross receipts, will more than pay for the additional 
investment. If this cannot be done in any given case, then it will not 
pay to make the change. 

In conclusion, the writer wishes to quote from the final paragraphs 
of a paper presented by him to the American Institute of Electrical 
Engineers,* wherein was expressed the convictions given in this dis¬ 
cussion, and which he sees no reason to change at this writing. This 
was prior to the third-rail experiments of the New York, New Haven 
and Hartford Railroad. 

“ The question whether the gross receipts of a given road will be 
affected by the use of one or the other power under discussion is a 
most interesting one. Experience shows that where an electric road 
has paralleled a steam road it has taken most of the latter’s business 
at first, but less as time went on; and that it created a demand for 
intercommunication which had never existed before—the bulk of the 
passenger travel coming from this cause. This is interestingly shown 
in the arguments of Judge Hall (Vice-President of the New York, New 
Haven and Hartford Railroad) and Judge Gager, of Connecticut, 
before the Legislature of the State at its last session. This, of course, 
refers to passenger receipts only. Freight receipts would not be 
affected by the use of one power or the other, they increasing only as 
the country grows and rates fall, together with better facilities. Re¬ 
ceipts from express and mails might be materially increased by the 
use of electric traction when giving more frequent service. It appears 
that the close headway and ‘ leave-at-your-door ’ service of electric 
roads are the main reasons for their induced travel. The question of 
how much more the travel w'ould be increased by the use of electric 
traction and frequent service is problematical, for the ‘ leave-at-your- 
door ’ service is wanting in steam railroads as they are, but why not 
change them? If this could be done, past experience and data would 
give a good basis from which to estimate future results. 

“The conclusion one arrives at is that for long lines, infrequent 
service, where freight is a large proportion of the business, and where 
centers of population are far apart, the steam locomotive is the only 
paying method ot to day, as the first cost will be less, as well as total 
expenses. The writer has had several opportunities of determining 
these facts. What development may bring to electric traction in the 
far future cannot be foretold. 

“The writer believes that electric traction will be profitable to 
steam railroad systems -when some or all of the following conditions 
are fulfilled, depending upon the special problem to be solved: ' 

“1. Steam railroad managers must avoid making the mistake which 
took place in the change from horse traction to. electric traction, 
namely, of trying to reduce the first cost of changing by use of old 
methods, material and equipments, which, although entirely suited to 


Meeting of October 21st, 1896. 



DISCUSSION ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 483 


the old system, proved most unsuitable under the new conditions. Mr. Davis. 
The tendency is to repeat this mistake, and too much stress cannot be 
laid upon avoiding it. The old equipment partly made over, the old 
method of operating, etc., will not bring success in the use of electric 
traction; and if followed from necessity would indicate the strongest 
argument against the change. 

“ 2. Long distance, heavy trains and infrequent service, if a neces¬ 
sity, will prevent electric traction being profitable. Therefore, where 
gross receipts can be increased by light trains and frequent service, 
and thus decrease expenses, as compared to steam locomotives, electric 
traction will prove profitable. One of the best examples of how this 
could be applied is found in the suburban service of the Pennsylvania 
Railroad out of Philadelphia. It is, of course, understood that electric 
cars can be operated over the same tracks as trains drawn by steam 
locomotives; a change of system requiring more frequent service for 
success might necessitate one or more additional tracks, which in some 
cases would delay the time when a change would be advisable. 

“3. Steam railroads, where the second condition is fulfilled, can 
better the results where they operate part of the system on the ‘ leave- 
at-your-door ’ plan. This suggestion may seem to some a radical 
departure, but I commend it to the careful thought of those inter¬ 
ested.” 

The writer’s final conclusion is that electric traction can be profit¬ 
ably used: 

(1) Where units are so light and so frequent, and carried such 
short distances, that steam locomotives cannot be furnished at lower 
first cost or operated more cheaply, as in the plain case of a street 
railway. 

(2) Where the gross receipts will be so increased by the change of 
system and the mode of operation as to more than pay for the increased 
first cost and operating expenses per car-mile, as in the case of subur¬ 
ban steam systems running out of our great cities and interurban 
systems between large towns situated a few miles apart. 

(3) When competition of parallel electric roads compels the change 
to save what traffic there is, irrespective of the question whether it will 
be more profitable. 

(4) Where higher speeds are required than can be attained by steam 
locomotives. 


High Speed Railroads. 

This discussion would not be complete without reference to another 
field where electric motors will prove a profitable method of operation, 
namely, (4) where higher speeds are required than can be attained by 
steam locomotives. This discussion is already long enough, so that 
the consideration of this must be postponed, but the reader is referred 
to “Enormous Possibilities of Rapid Electric Travel,” by the writer.* 


* Engineering Magazine , 1897. 




484 DISCUSSION" ON ELECTRICITY YS. STEAM FOR RAILROADS. 


. Davis. In that paper is expressed the belief that large centers of population, 
reasonably near together, will eventual]y be connected by railways 
operating at 150 miles per hour or over, with the local street railways 
as feeders and distributors. 

Many more interesting facts and deductions can be obtained from 
a careful examination and analysis of the curves and tables. They are 
left to the intelligence of the reader. 




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